Ask the Swan Specialist
Date: 17 July 2015
Hi Lori
Swans feed all day and sometimes through the night. The amount of food depends upon the availability of sub aquatic and other vegetation in the habitat. The more sparse the vegetation, the more often the swans need to eat.
The best system is the use of a dog cafe mounted on a pole 3 feet from the bank to prevent predators. You will need to teach the swans how to use the trap door to feed at will. This will not only save you money in the long run, but you won't have to go out every few hours to feed them, you will prevent predators from access to the swans while they are eating, prevent other waterfowl from eating before the swans eat and finally, prevent pests such as rats and ants.
You will need to check the feeder regularly to remove any wet or moldy food which can sicken the swans. So, the feeder will need to be cleaned weekly, more during rain season.
You will only need to fill the feeder just below 1/2 full and this will save you some money. To see the dog cafe used as a feeder, you can run a search on this site as we have posted a photo. You can also Google swan feeder.
To save more money and provide an adequate diet for the swans, fill the feeder with a mixture of 1/2 Cracked corn and 1/2 poultry layer pellets. The cracked corn will provide essential Vitamin A and act as a filler. The poultry pellets will provide essential vitamins, minerals and micronutrients.
You can call the swans to you and provide a treat of bread and lettuce in the water once or twice throughout the day to keep the swans friendly with you. The Regal Swan
Messages In This Thread
- Feeding of adult swans -- Lori -- 17 July 2015
- Re: Feeding of adult swans -- The Regal Swan -- 17 July 2015
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