Swans will mate and then lay eggs approximately every other day for approximately 2 weeks. There are several factors that can influence the timing.

If cold weather starts again and true winter is not here, the birds may completely stop mating and will await warmer weather. Once they are ready to lay eggs, the swans will begin forming a nest approximately one week out.

The timing also depends on the mother swan. Female birds are programmed to lay a specific number of eggs throughout their lives and this programming is also specific to the number of eggs the female is to lay each breeding season. Any disruption of the eggs, may cause the female to lay more eggs to replace any eggs that are lost. This is called double clutching and is very detrimental to the female. She will loose a great deal of energy which will lead to weight loss that can even kill the bird. So, once the eggs are laid, it is imperative that the nest is not disturbed.

If the swans are first time parents, the number of eggs may be less than what the bird will eventually lay from season to season. There is also the possibility that if this is the first season, the eggs may not be viable or the young birds may lose any cygnets that hatch from being inexperienced with raising offspring. However, there are some young swan parents that will hatch viable eggs and raise cygnets even if it is the first season. So, all of this depends on the individual swans.

Once the eggs are laid, every other day until the number of eggs that are supposed to be laid is reached, then incubation begins. Approximately 30-45 days later, the cygnets should hatch. However, if a human is counting, this may not be an accurate count as remember, the incubation will begin when the last egg is laid and when the female decides to begin the incubation. The Regal Swan