At 8 months of age, the juveniles are ready to find a new home and start to pair with another swan. There is a possibility he will return to the family, especially if food is scarce. They will remember where the food bucket is in a pinch. Having said this, he might not return if he obviously got lost in his bearings, found a better spot and a potential mate or he is a male and was constantly being chased by the male parent. Please let us know if he returns.

The swan that you caught will do just fine on his/her own. If you get another swan, you will have to have both checked by a licensed veterinarian to ensure you have opposite gendered swans or you could have a fight resulting in one or both swans getting seriously injured.

You may also check to see if you need a permit if the swans produce young as many states are killing the Mute Swans to introduce the larger Trumpeter Swans for Trophy Waterfowl hunting purposes.

Additionally, to introduce another swan will mean that you will need to have an enclosed pen, half in water and half on land with a zero entrance as steep and abrasive banks can injure the swan's feet and legs. The pen should be enclosed top to bottom so predators cannot get to the swan by digging under or climbing over and into the pen. . A feeder should be placed inside the pen. The new swan should be kept in the pen for approximately 2 weeks to acclimate the swan to you, it's feeding system, the new habitat and your swan. During this time, you will need to closely monitor any aggressive behavior between the two swans. If there is aggressive behavior, then you will need to find another home for the new swan. The Regal Swan