Swan egg hopes for a newbie

[Megaputz]

After loosing two eggs I was a bit more aggressive with the dark egg. I cracked open the shell over the air sack to find the beak. It had not piped but was chatting away. It was in about the same position as the first egg above, below the membrane. Chipped the shell and part of the membrane away so it could breath. Then wrapped it in a warm paper towel to keep it moist.

The egg that piped last night came out of the shell at 2pm. The dark one a little after 5pm.




What do I feed them? I have showbird starter. Bought it for the pheasant.
I have chick/duck starter too along with laying crumbles.

Here is the feed info for the showbird starter:
crude protien...24.00%
lysine...............1.35
methionine.......0.50
crude fat..........3.00
crude fiber.......5.00
calcium(min)...1.00
calcium(max)...1.50
phosphorus.....0.80
salt(min)..........0.25
salt(max).........0.75
sodium............0.50

Have read that you mix chick starter with layer.

 

[Russianbeast101]

How are they doing.

 

[Megaputz]

Really miss the sound of their peeping in the house. Some video of them after hatching and after a swim. Took them to aunts for sexing and pinioning.
Only had them for three days but could see they were getting stronger and more agile with each passing day.

 

[Reesesgirl]

Too cute I need to find another cygnet for my sweet ellie she would love it. Keep updating!!!

 

[Megaputz]

My aunts mute swan, butts

 

[Megaputz]

Both of the cygnets were males. Both dead

 

[BYC-user-174785]

Wait what? How did they die? I am sorry...

 

[Megaputz]

Don't know... she gave me one of them to do autopsy. They were doing great and I dropped them off to her. One cygnet died and a day later the next. Not sure if they were exposed to something here or there.

As for the autopsy... I'm not sure what to look for. Little guy is in the freezer. So what do I look for? Crop feels empty but she says they were eating and I did witness him eating when I stopped by yesterday. Gave her duck starter mixed with crack corn and laying mesh. He never touched it.
No sign of prolapse from sexing. No sign the wings were infected from pinioning. He was acting normal when I left and she said that he passed at 2-3 am.

Aunt has had swans for decades but they always raised the cygnets. She had no clue as to what to feed them. I asked here... no one answered

. Didn't get much input or tips for hatching/raising cygnets to use or give my aunt. Figured she has had birds for so long she knew. I was just hatching them and had them for a few days while she waited for her friend to come back into town for pinioning and sexing.

She did have the cygnets in an old coop she has not used in years. She put down sod and there was a heat lamp. At night she brought them inside. Poop was orange.
There was some exposed dirt in the coop run with what looked like dried chicken poop... asked her about it and told her to clean it. Could them eating the dirt and pebbles in the area contaminated with old poop cause an infection in the digestive tract? My thoughts... If that is the case what evidence would there be during autopsy?
They had no contact with other birds or animals while here. The 'brooder' was just a tote with fresh hay in it. Same hay I use to feed my rabbits and for bedding for chickens and ducks. They didn't really eat much during their stay.

All the animals I've hatched and had... never had something like this happen. Was it the game-bird feed, duck starter and such that did it? They didn't eat much while here. It wasn't until the day they left that I could notice that they ate any food.