It is difficult to determine the exact cause of the injury if there is one. If there is egg impaction, she may have passed the egg and the cause of the area around the cloaca that looks like an injury. Blood around the cloaca could also be the result of injury caused by (shooting, bite by a predator, etc.), or the presence of an internal infection (bacterial, viral or parasitic). As long as she is pooping and eating normally, then she should be okay. If in doubt, we would suggest that you capture the swan and get it to a licensed veterinarian so that tests can be conducted to find out if she is in distress. Egg impaction, injuries and infections can cause death, so if in doubt, please get her to a veterinarian immediately.

As far as being on schedule for laying eggs, we are noticing birds and animals from around the country being delayed in their mating, nesting and production of young due to the constant warm, cold, warm, cold fronts. The animals and birds, as well as plants are rather confused this year as the cold fronts have not stopped. So, it may be a few more days or weeks before everything settles and mating/nesting returns to normal. The Regal Swan