Newbie to the swan world- now what?

[Tabetha16]

We are inheriting 7 cygnets and I am tasked with preparing for them. I am told they are about 6 weeks old and have full feathers.

I have been doing 6 hours of research and keep finding conflicting information so any insight/feedback you can give would be greatly appreciated.

We have 3 lakes- 1 large and 2 smaller and they are all separate- is it best to put all 7 cygnets together until they about 2 (when they get to breeding age)?
Or should we get them DNA sexed and try to split them up now amongst the lakes?
I know we have to put 3 sided + a roof "enclosure area on land heading into the pond- with some sort of gate to lock them into the enclosure area until they are big enough to defend off raccoons but how big should this space be per bird?
How big does the house/coop structure need to be? How big should the hole into the structure be?
At what point do we stop locking them up at night?
I have read swans prefer to be fed on the water but they are currently being fed out of a PVC feeding tube- will there be any problem transitioning from one feeding method to another?
What is your opinion on allowing them to migrate vs having their wings clipped?

Any info you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

 

[chickenzoo]

Did you mean six weeks or six months....as at six weeks they will not have feathers. They will still have their down for many months. If they are young I would not put them on a lake but in a pen with a shallow pan then a kiddie pool when they get a few months older. I always gave mine their food in a pan near some water. As they got older I made a feeder near the water. I also gave them Roman lettuce.... I also used child's play pen plastic fencing to make an area on the grass and a big dog house to sleep in. Once they got six months old they were allowed out on the water by themselves. Everyone has their own way of raising them. As for pinioning them...I would. Many swan are considered a nuisance in the wild and are culled. It is proper management to keep your birds on your property. In some places it is required. As for separation... As they get older I would separate them to different ponds.