Destroying is never a good answer answer as it will solve nothing. At this time of the year, Mute Swans are mating, nesting and awaiting the arrival of new cygnets. This means that their sexual hormones are at a very high level. Destroying the nest will only cause him to become more aggressive as he builds another nest. Destroying eggs, means that the swans will mate and re-clutch which may be very harmful to the female swan. Until the hormones level, the behavior will continue for about a month.

The optimal solution is to build a pen (complete enclosed-similar to a dog run) with a small amount of bank left around the nest for drying and preening and an ample amount of water for bathing and swimming for not only the parents but the ensuing arrival of cygnets. A feeder should be placed in the pen accessible so that you can add and clean the food with minimal contact with the cygnets or parents (meaning an opening to change and clean the food so that you cannot be challenged by the parents). Also, the pen needs to be completely enclosed so that predators cannot enter the pen by digging under or climbing into the pen. Additionally, the bottom of the pen should have windscreen or plastic poultry fencing placed on the outside of the pen from the bottom rail up until about 4 feet along the fenced pen. This will prevent the cygnets from leaving the pen and not being able to return which may cause them to drown or be subject to predation.

The parents and cygnets should be kept in the pen for approximately 8 weeks. This will allow the cygnets to get to a bigger size so that some predation can be mitigated such as blue herons, egrets, etc. At 8 weeks of age (2 months) the cygnets should be about the size of a small duck. This will also allow additional time for the hormone levels to resolve. We hope this information helps. The Regal Swan