Ask the Swan Specialist

Swan eggs not hatching
By:Erik Marghella <hutch35@optonline.net>
Date: 1 June 2011

Hello:

I e-mailed you on May 15 to discuss a nest on my dock that initially had 6 eggs starting around the second week of april and one egg hatched about three weeks ago and it seemed like the male swan may have killed the cygnet shortly after another egg opened and just yellow yolk.

There are still 4 eggs and the female is sitting on them and just the other day actually moved the eggs and built a new nest. We are concerned that the eggs may not be ok and will not hatch. Alos we have notice a little red flag that was placed by the nest which says 4/21/11 6 eggs. Someone said the EPA placed it there and may have "shaken" the eggs as a way of controlling the Swan population. That's sounds cruel! Maybe that is why the egges(all but one have not hatched)

Thank you for your response. erik