You will first need to contact your Fish & Wildlife Commission to see if you can possess the swans. Many states are now requiring permits to possess swans.

You will then need to decide whether you want males or females. If you take two males or two females, the birds will mate and nest, but obviously will not produce any cygnets (baby swans). If you get a male and a female, you will have cygnets and each year, you will need to find a good home for them as the l.5 acre pond is not sufficient for more than 2 swans. The adults will become aggressive toward their young each nesting season and will try to get them to leave the pond.

This is a major problem because the cygnets will need to be pinioned (permanently stopped from flying per state laws), and you will need to have this procedure completed at 1-3 weeks after hatching. This means that you will need to capture the cygnets and transport them to a veterinarian and return them to the parents within 1-3 hours or the parents will not accept them.

Swans are very high maintenance birds, needing veterinary medical care, annual vaccinations against botulism and many other humane care protocols. We would suggest that you get a copy of our book, Swan Keeper's Handbook: A Guide to the Care of Captive Swans, Krieger Publishing, 2003, Malabar, Florida. This book is a comprehensive text on the requirements for maintaining swans. The Regal Swan