Ask the Swan Specialist

Re: Can we buy a male swan?
By:The Regal Swan
Date: 10 June 2015
In Response To: Can we buy a male swan? (Conor)

Hi Conor:

There are many factors to this question. How old is the female, what happened to her male mate, are you absolutely sure that the bird is a female (did you do DNA Sequencing-the only guaranteed way of knowing), etc.?

There are no guarantees that the birds will bond. This is an individual attribute and if you receive a male that has lost its mate, then there is a possibility that it will not re-pair after a male swan loses its mate. Conversely, most females will re-pair, but again, this is totally up to the individual swan.

To introduce another swan, you will need to build a pen, 1/2 in water and 1/2 on land completely enclosed top to bottom so that no predators can crawl over and into the pen or dig under the pen to access the new swan. A feeder should be placed inside the pen and the pen should have a zero entrance to the water so the swan can enter and exit the water without hurting its legs or feet. You will need to keep the new bird in the pen for approximately 2 weeks until it acclimates itself to you, its new habitat, the feeder and the other swan. During this time, watch for aggression. If any signs of aggression, you may need to find the new swan another home as he may accidentally injure or kill the female if he does not accept her as a mate.

Another concern is if you have a breeder's license by the state. Many states require a breeders' license if you have opposite gendered swans. In this case, you will be required to conduct annual veterinary exams, conduct pinioning (licensed veterinarian renders the birds unable to fly through a portion of the wing being amputated at 1-3 weeks of age and mandated by most states for captive birds), you will need to find the cygnets a new home once the birds breed during the next season as they will chase the young birds from the habitat. Mute Swans produce a new brood of cygnets every year and can produce 1-8 cygnets, obviously, not all will always survive. What will you do with this many cygnets as you will be responsible for all veterinary paperwork in finding them another home? Sometimes, leaving well enough alone is for the best. If there are other waterfowl in the pond, geese, ducks, etc., we would suggest that you not find another mate. She will do just fine with the other waterfowl. The Regal Swan

Messages In This Thread

Can we buy a male swan? -- Conor -- 10 June 2015
Re: Can we buy a male swan? -- The Regal Swan -- 10 June 2015