A well-cared for swan can live up to 30 years. This means, full prompt veterinary medical care and a habitat that is safe from predators, pollution, etc. The oldest swan under our veterinarian's care was at Lake Morton, in Lakeland, Florida. The swan was 22 years of age, but showing every bit of it. He looked like a frail elderly male and he did not survive much longer after that veterinary exam. But, he was well maintained and lived a very full life.

We have heard some extremely stupid comments regarding the effect of bread on swans. Recently, someone made the comment that bread binds swans as in it constipates the birds and the yeast in the bread is harmful to the lake.

This could not be further from the truth. Bread DOES NOT constipate a swan, if it did, we would not be stepping in swan poop with the swan flocks that we work with and are fed bread daily by the general public (wild and captive swans).

Bread serves only as a filler, there is no nutritional value from the bread for the swan. It is basically an empty calorie, so it should not be fed as the sole supplemental food. Rather, it should be fed as a treat. Large amounts of bread, and this would mean several loaves a day with no other supplemental or natural food source (i.e., aquatic vegetation, lettuce, cracked corn and poultry layer pellets), would change the bird's blood chemistry. But, again, this would have to be in such large amounts and the only food source provided.

Although it is an acquired taste for many swans, lettuce, specifically romaine or iceberg, is a better treat because it provides the swans with additional vegetation to their diet. However, a little bread along with cracked corn, poultry layer pellets, lettuce and natural food found in lakes and ponds is not going to have a significant effect on the birds. The Regal Swan