# Do curly tails have anything to do with happiness?



## Angie (Dec 27, 2005)

Do all pigs have curly tails? I got a hamp boar from a guy and the boars tail was straight. A few weeks after I got him his tail curled and has stayed that way. He was kept in very dirty quarters before I got him and he seemed a bit on the thin side. My sow, which I haave had since a baby, has always had a curly tail. I am wondering if the tail being curled or uncurled has anything to do with happiness? I thought the best way to find this out is to survey everyone on here.


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## milkinpigs (Oct 4, 2005)

Angie, you sort of answered your own question.A tail that hangs like a limp piece of string is a sign the pigs not doing too well. Your boar was not taken care of by the person you bought him from.You took him home and gave him good care and now he's feeling better.That curly tail says you are doing a good job" A Healthy Pig is a Happy Pig " Take pride that you a good hog "person"


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## Lynne (May 10, 2002)

Don't all creatures "droop" when the are not happy?


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## Argent Farms (Apr 21, 2006)

I have 2 pigs, and only one has a curly tail. And that's the grumpy one! The littler one seems happier and friendlier but her tail is straight as an arrow. She does wag it all the time though!


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## kidsngarden (Mar 24, 2006)

I think a happy pig has a curly tail, but that is totally not scientific. One of my gilts' tail was docked and she just doesn't look as happy as the other. I guess I just see happiness in the curly tail.

kids


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## Misty (May 29, 2005)

it can also be a sign that they need to be wormed.


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## Tango (Aug 19, 2002)

That is an ol farmer's tale. A straight tail isn't always a sign of a sick pig but if along with the straight, limp tail there are other signs like lethargy, scours, sunken eyes, etc. then it is an indication that not all is well. By itself, it means nothing. Many pigs straighten out there tails once in a while. When I see it, I look for the other signs.


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## Firefly (Dec 7, 2005)

What about tail wagging? Sometimes mine seem to do it like dogs, wagging when they see me coming with lunch!


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## SmokedCow (Sep 25, 2004)

Mine put their tails flat when they get wet....and they wag them too..iits so cute.
AJ


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

Angie, in your case the boar would have had a straight tail because he was uncomfortable, unhappy and probably hungry. I should imagine that he also looked generally depressed when you first got him. 

As Tango has mentioned, a normally curly tailed pig that goes straight will show other signs if it is associated with illness.

I have a pet pig that lives the life of Riley and she has never had a curly tail even as a baby. Her tail is very long and doesn't quite touch the ground. It wags when she sees me or when she's feeding. Another sow has a curly tail, a straight tail and a tail that sticks straight up in the air like a cats, depending on how she's feeling I suppose. I've never seen another pig with a tail that sticks straight up in the air. 

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## GeorgeK (Apr 14, 2004)

it depends on the breed. Mine all have straight tails, except for the one tailess boar. However, like a dog, healthy pigs wag.


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