Ask the Swan Specialist

Re: Female swan missing after sitting on nest for a week
By:The Regal Swan
Date: 1 April 2016

Hi Beth

We are so sorry for your loss. DO NOT try to incubate these eggs. Unless you know what you are doing, (in many cases even professional swan breeders are not successful), bringing the eggs to full viability is not that probable. You would need to have a commercial incubator with humidity and temperature controls as well as automatic rotation. All you are going to get is a massive explosion of eggs and a mess. Take the eggs and throw them in the pond so that they do not explode in a trash can and predators are not attracted to the area.

We would suggest that you capture Sully and place him indoors for approximately a week to insure the coyote does not return early morning or late evening to attack him. If the coyote returns and doesn't find the other swan, he should leave the area, but there are no guarantees.

You might want to turn him out on the pond around 9am, and bringing him in at night 1 hour prior to sunset. You need to mix up the times 15 min before and after each time you bring him in or take him out so that predators do not recognize a pattern.

Also, take into account time changes.

Whether Sully will take another mate is questionable as male swans may or may not re-pair after losing mates. At this point in time, it is more important to take care of Sully and mitigate the predator threat. The Regal Swan

Messages In This Thread

Female swan missing after sitting on nest for a week -- Beth -- 24 March 2016
Re: Female swan missing after sitting on nest for a week -- The Regal Swan -- 24 March 2016
Re: Female swan missing after sitting on nest for a week -- Beth -- 31 March 2016
Re: Female swan missing after sitting on nest for a week -- The Regal Swan -- 1 April 2016