We are so sorry that the tendon binding did not work. This is a very tough injury to treat and offers little hope that the cygnet can have a humane quality of life. Since there are other cygnets and basically, a family, it would be better to wait until the cygnets are approximately 8-10 months of age before introducing another swan. At this age, they will be chased from the habitat by the parents and it will then be time for the young birds to take on a mate.

Even then, you may need to think twice about how many swans you want on your lake and specifically, how many breeding pairs. Eventually, the habitat will be overrun and cygnets will need to be placed in another safe home. Additionally, many states are now killing Mute Swans trying to keep the habitat free from Mutes so that the larger Trumpeter Swans can be introduced for Trophy Waterfowl hunting purposes. In this instance, many swan owners are being regulated for possessing Mute Swans and a breeder’s permit procured if the swans produce offspring. You will need to pinion (render the cygnets unable to fly at 1-3 weeks of age) to maintain the birds. Additionally, you will be responsible for any paperwork, veterinary care, etc., for the placement of the cygnets to another home. Mute Swans can produce 1-13 cygnets a year. So, you can see that breeding pairs can be a handful. If you decide to get another swan, you will need to place it in a pen (enclosed top to bottom to prevent predators from entering from below or above- with a feeder inside). The pen should be erected so that it is ½ in water and ½ on land. The new swan needs to be kept in the pen for approximately 2 weeks to acclimate it to the habitat, the other swans and you as its caretaker. It will also learn your feeding system. Monitor any aggressive behavior from the resident swans and the new swan. If there is aggressive behavior exhibited, you will need to find the new bird another home. Have a boat ready for a rescue once you release the new bird onto the pond and closely monitor the birds for any aggressive behavior. Again, once the bird is on the pond and any aggressive behavior is exhibited toward the new bird, it needs to be placed in another safe secure home. The Regal Swan