Swans eat aquatic vegetation, lettuce, bread, poultry layer pellets and cracked corn.

Unfortunately, swans will not go into any structure like a dog house. We have seen zoos place them (physically pick them up and transport them into a small structure) at night.

You might be able to train them to do something like this, but the house would have to be closed at least on one end and enclosed so that no predator can get into the structure at night (i.e., cannot dig under, climb over or penetrate the structure).

The ideal situation would to bring them into a barn/garage and keep them there throughout the winter with a kiddie pool provided for their bathing/food requirements.

Placing the food to get them to go into the structure might work to lure them indoors, but it will also cause predators (i.e., raccoons, etc.) and pests (ants/rats) to also follow the lead of the food into the structure. So, you might want to reconsider doing this around the structure.

Hay or straw should be used for the bedding. DO NOT USE any pine straws as they can injure their mouths and starve from the needles in addition to the pine resin damaging their feathers. Good luck and let us know how this progresses. The Regal Swan