Since the swans are used to the enclosed area, we would probably suggest that you keep the plywood. The sliding glass windows just need to be safe so that a raccoon or other predator cannot access the screen window. As long as their good ventilation and flooring, the swans should be just fine.

Nesting in the barn would be a great idea, but this will mean that you will need to be able to capture parents and cygnets on a daily basis if the parents refuse to go back into the barn once the cygnets hatch. The entrance to the barn must be a zero entrance so that the cygnets can follow the adults in without hurting their feet or legs. Is the distance from the pond that great? If so, you may need to build a nesting veterinary pen which must be 1/2 on water and 1/2 on land (entirely enclosed so that predators cannot enter the pen from the top or by digging under). A feeder should be placed inside with nesting material (straw on the bank). The pen should be enclosed from the bottom of the pen up to 4 feet around the perimeter of the pen so that the cygnets cannot climb out of the pen and be separated from the parents.

If you need futher information on the design and implementation of water pens (nesting pens), you can find this information in our newest book: Swans of the World Habitats: Setting the Standard for Swan Conservation (www.theregalswan.com). We hope this information is of benefit it to you. The Regal Swan