You want to feed the cygnet a mixture of poultry layer pellets and cracked corn. The cracked corn may need to be crushed a little more so that it is small enough for the cygnet to eat. Poultry layer pellets provide micronutrients such as calcium, magnesium, etc. The corn provides Vitamin A a much needed vitamin or the cygnet could be neurologically affected. The corn also acts as a filler and will make the cygnet fill full. You also need to provide the cygnet with lettuce (romaine or iceberg) finely chopped as supplemental vegetation.

The pellets and corn should be submerged in water so that it is the consistency of mush. The swan must have water to digest to prevent choking, so the mixture must be rather watery. The food should be placed in a pan with a zero entry so the bird does not injure its legs or feet trying to get into the water. Cygnets will try to climb into the watery food. Use a paint rolling pan which has an incline. Place the food in a clean rolling pan, line the bottom of the pan with a towel to cover the ramp. Fill water over the food inside the pan. This will allow traction for the bird to enter and exit the water while feeding. The smaller the cygnet, the more easily it will be able to float (swim) while eating. The food and water should be changed frequently as cygnets will defecate in the food. The cygnet should also be cleaned and dried after eating to promote preening and ensure that it stays warm.

When keeping the cygnet, you will need to provide it bath time, but only in small increments and never unattended as its feathers are not repellent thus causing the cygnet to drown. The cygnet should be allowed to enter and access water with a zero entry ramp. Meaning, there should not be any steep climbing by the cygnet. Slick, wet and slippery surfaces can cause great injury to the cygnet's leg or feet which may require euthanasia if the bird cannot use its feet or legs to enter or exit water. Surfaces should be normal dirt, straw or grass. Do not use pine needles as the resin can damage a swan's feathers.

Do not use any asphalt or rocky surfaces as this can also cause a condition in the bird's feet called bumblefoot which can become infected. Again, use smooth, non-slick surfaces. Even indoor/outdoor mats that look like grass can be used. They will need to be cleaned frequently, but they will provide the bird with traction. Again, you can use a painter's pan (for rolling brushes) for swimming and feeding. Cygnets must be dried with a towel and observed to see if it preens itself.

If you are keeping a cygnet in a box, plastic or cardboard, the bottom of the box should be lined with towels with a sheet placed over the top of the towels. You want something that will allow the bird to keep warm while also providing traction. But, towels can bundle and strangle or suffocate the young bird, so you must check on it frequently.

A non-preening, non-eating or non-pooping bird, or one with labored breathing indicates that there is a problem and a veterinarian should be immediately consulted. Cygnets are pretty self-sufficient when it comes to feeding, but any change in their behavior should be of concern. Good luck and let us know how the cygnet is doing. The Regal Swan