Although there is some research regarding artificial incubation, it is very limited and even professional breeders have difficulty.

If you found the egg and the mother had abandoned it, it is highly unlikely that you will incubate to fruition. We have learned the hard way that when a swan abandons the egg it is for a good reason and MOTHER KNOWS BEST! We have had eggs explode and cause such a mess and lingering odor that we have since been advocates of not trying the process.

Secondly, if the egg is viable, you will need to turn the egg regularly 1/4 of a turn intermittantly. You have to be extremely careful to keep the egg in the same position and with limited jostling so that you do not detach the embryo or otherwise, you will kill the egg. This process is why professional breeders employ very expensive rotating incubators with controlled humidity and temperature regulators.

Lastly, if the egg is successfully hatched, you will have a swan that imprints on humans, meaning that the swan will think it is a human and will have major difficulty in trying to be a swan. You will probably have to keep the swan indoors or penned up the rest of his/her life to protect it from being too friendly with people who may try to steal or harm it and predators. We have heard of cases where imprinted swans have walked right up to foxes, domestic dogs, bobcats, etc., losing their life because they are so trusting. So, with this in mind for the well-being of the bird, we would advocate not trying to incubate the egg. The Regal Swan