Lettuce is an acquired taste for many swans. They can eat it right away as they eat aquatic vegetation within 24 hours after being hatched. You must need to make sure that it is finely chopped. As far as bread, bread will not hurt the birds. Too much bread acts only as a filler, no nutritional value and may change the glucose levels in their blood, but it is not going to kill them. You just don't want bread to be the only item fed to the swans as it holds no nutritional value and they need more nutrition than bread alone.

You can feed the adults and cygnets cracked corn and poultry layer pellets. The cracked corn provides necessary Vitamin A. Lack of Vitamin A can cause neurological problems, so not only does the cracked corn act as a filler, it provides a necessary nutrient. The poultry layer pellets provide micronutrients, minerals and vitamins. The swans can get their normal nutrition from their habitat, but supplementing their diet with the above items can help them along. The major issue is not to provide them with too much protein. Some people feed swans and other waterfowl cat or dog food which can cause a condition called angel wing, slipped or backwards wing. Too much protein can cause the body and wings to develop too quickly and the supporting tissue cannot keep up with the weight from the overdeveloped wings. This will cause the angel wing condition and render the young birds unable to fly. The Regal Swan
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