Yes, you need a fenced in veterinary pen (top and bottom covered, just in the event a lone predator such as domesticated dog, cat or human may try to access them. If the cygnets are relatively small, owls, hawks and other flying predators can kill them.

Also, do not kid yourself. No matter what predator was removed, there may still be wild predators in the area. Bear, fox, coyote and raccoon are now considered urban wildlife and can turn up at anytime. If you are in the Southeastern United States, alligators can enter ponds through culverts, walk across land or climb chain link fences to access bodies of water. Just because you do not see a predator does not mean that they do not exist in or around the urban area.

Place the pen, (1/2 on water and 1/2 on land with the feeder inside. You need to ensure that you provide a feeder that is mounted on a pole approximately 3 feet in the water. The cygnets need water to eat and they must learn how to eat and where to locate consistent food. The pole with the feeder mounted is placed in the water not only to allow the swans access to the water and food simultaneously, but also prevents pests such as ants, rats, etc. Food can also attract predators.

The pen is used to allow the swans to learn about their new habitat, how to feed and acclimate themselves to you. You will need to become their "Mother" figure. They need to understand that it is you that is allowed to go into the pen and feed them. It is you that offers shelter and safety. It is you that they need to run to in the event that they are injured or sick.

The more you interact with the cygnets, the more that they will begin to trust you and stay near you instead of running from you. In the event of an emergency, you may have to capture them, house them off the lake, or transport them to a veterinarian. The stress from being handled by someone who is seen as the protector and feeder, is lessened when capture, handling or transport is neccessary.

So, do not look at the pen as being something that confines the birds. The pen is a tool to acclimate them to the habitat and you, and a safe haven in the event that they must be taken off the lake for illness, safety or injury purposes.

Also, keep the pen after their release as an emergency holding area and place it and the feeder near the island. This will keep the young birds near the area and hopefuly, off the perimeter banks of the pond. The closer they stay toward the island at night or in the water, will insure their safety in the event that a rogue predator appears. We hope this information is of benefit. The Regal Swan