WTB Trumpeter Swans

Hey, I would like to know where to get some Trumpeter Swans. At the very least, I want to stay in contact with Trumpeter Swan owners/breeders. I am mainly looking for Trumpeter Swan hatching eggs because we are getting a GQF sportsman incubator from a friend. I love these Swans so much and I am looking forward to hearing their beautiful sounds. I also have a question about these Swans as well if you can answer them: What is their aggression as compared to a Mute Swan or a Black Swan? What size pond should we make for them in order to keep them happy (it can't be giant and it can't be tiny)? Do they make a lot of their beautiful noises? Is there any possible way to raise both Trumpeter Swans and Black Swans on the same pond? (I'm pretty sure this is an obvious no, considering how territorial Swans are, but wanted to ask anyways). What do you do in the winter for Swans? Are there any extra requirements in their diet besides feed and cracked corn?

My limited experience with trumps was at the Delta Waterfowl Research Station....someone decided to release some redheads on their pond....5 people and 8 of 11 dead redheads later, we were able to separate them an save the survivors.

So my guess is you can not put them on the same pond as black swans.

Their pen was about 100x100 with about 1/3 pond.

Exercise caution....they can put a hurt on you.

Clint

Aren't Trumpeters critically endangered? Might impact your chances of getting eggs, I don't think they're legal to own as pets or livestock anywhere in the U.S. but I could be totally wrong on that.

Temperament wise they're actually quite docile, at least by swan standards. That's why they're endangered, other introduced swan species like blacks and mutes simply out-competed them. They need a lot of grazing land and aren't nearly as aggressive or territorial as other large waterfowl, so if they get chased out of their lake or pond they'll often starve to death.

Amykins - where did you get your information???

No, Trumpeter Swans are not critically endangered. They are considered "least concern" by the IUCN and aren't listed by USFWS either.

Yes, Trumpeter Swans are legal to own. Like other native waterfowl they must be properly marked and sold with the USFWS 3-186 form.

Mature birds can be very aggressive, especially during the breeding season, but individual birds vary in temperament. Cygnets that are hand raised and coddled tend to mature into human aggressive birds whereas parent reared birds tend to be more subdued.

DT

edited to say no, they can't be kept with other birds on anything but a very large lake. Even at that other swans, geese and even some ducks would be at risk.

Amykins said:

Aren't Trumpeters critically endangered? Might impact your chances of getting eggs, I don't think they're legal to own as pets or livestock anywhere in the U.S. but I could be totally wrong on that.

Temperament wise they're actually quite docile, at least by swan standards. That's why they're endangered, other introduced swan species like blacks and mutes simply out-competed them. They need a lot of grazing land and aren't nearly as aggressive or territorial as other large waterfowl, so if they get chased out of their lake or pond they'll often starve to death.

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Yeah, I figured that out a few weeks ago. I recently discovered that you need a license for Trumps and Whoopers. I still plan on owning them someday though when I have whatever licenses and permissions required to legally own them. I am more than capable of giving them all they need some day. I mainly wanted them because of their sounds, size, and appearance. Heck, I even plan on breeding a lot of trumps and helping redistribute/populate them if possible. But now i'm looking for Black Swans instead, this time cygnets if possible. I just realized that there probably aren't many people out there willing to take eggs from an angry swan nest. People should still be able to sell other legal rare exotic birds as eggs, but I haven't seen any. Do you know the temperament of a Black Swan? I've also heard that they're friendlier than Mutes as well. I often see people trying to sell Mute Swans, and supposedly they're federally illegal to breed. IDK, I just don't want to own anything illegally because then I can't breed them, sell offspring, or brag to people about them. Also because the DNR has way too much power that it probably shouldn't have. I'm highly against the migratory bird act, but I can't do anything about it. The good thing is that there are many exotic duck species and bird species in general that I can buy, sell, and own legally without any gubmint permissions. There are no federal or state laws against the ownership of Australian Black Swans, so i'll try them out first.

Good god. Where to begin with this one...

Dr. Todd said:

Good god. Where to begin with this one...

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I will have to say that I agree with you, and at first I actually thought that I was replying to you instead of her. Guess I got the pictures mixed up. And I honestly don't know the complete legality of owning Swans, but I don't want anything bad to happen for some noisy birds that I can wait and own legally someday if I have the budget, permissions, knowledge, and responsibility to do so. But the Whooper, Tundra, and Trumpeter Swans are on the migratory bird treaty act of 1920, which makes them illegal to own in the United States without the proper license and permissions. That and my state dnr site said that you can't own Mute, Trumpeters, and Tundras without approval. So for now i'm just going to look for Black Swans and get the other species I want some other day. I am not going to own a loud AND illegal bird. I'll own it when it's loud and legal. One of the big things too is that if I did own an illegal bird, I wouldn't know what safe ways I could sell their offspring. I am not taking my chances because I do not trust the gubmint. Maybe someday I will, but not anytime soon. Especially if it's before 2017.

Our avatars are really similar so I can see how you could easily get them confused.

So wait, quiet and illegal is ok but that loud and illegal combo is just too much? Makes perfect sense, just like the rest of your post.

Down with the MBTA!!!! Booooooo

Dr. Todd said:

Our avatars are really similar so I can see how you could easily get them confused.

So wait, quiet and illegal is ok but that loud and illegal combo is just too much? Makes perfect sense, just like the rest of your post.

Down with the MBTA!!!! Booooooo

Click to expand...

Uh no, you posted not long after Amykins. I saw your avatar right away after hers when I refreshed the page, that's how I got them mixed up. And no, neither is okay, unless you're willing to lose your entire farm over some bird(s) if you get caught. Maybe do some research on both your local laws and my state's laws before being a ********. What i'm saying is there should be more freedoms to own native and exotic species of animals, not all of them should have to be regulated. Not everyone is an idiot who will just let them fly away to breed with or "contaminate" the wild population. If you live in an area where it's illegal to own and raise certain birds and you choose to do it anyways, then that is fine with me. But you aren't going to convince me that I should own something that is illegal to own in my state and the whole nation. Unless I am able to own them legally, I will not own them.

You dont have to have a permit to own them just if you plan on breeding them and selling the babies, all you need to own them is buy them from a licensed breeder who will supply you with the 3-186 form. We ship trumpeters and whoopers out several times a week. I also have a pair of trumpeters with 8 barnacle geese on a small pond and they do fine, i have one pond that is an acre with 8 pair of whoopers and a few mutes on it. Then there are a couple pair of Trumpeters and Whoopers that I have that wont let anything around them, it all depends on the exact bird!

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