Swan problem......

[chickenzoo]

I have some Black Swans, and we just moved to a 16 acre farm... but no pond yet. I built them a temporary 10 X 16 pond so they could swim and get some exercise... They do use it, but all my Black Swans seem to spend more time walking around then swimming.... always have. I always thought they spent more time in the water? All are pretty friendly, but one female who as a cygnet, was never thrilled with me and always ran, has now decided that the rather likes me. She tried building a nest on the porch on my backdoor mat, bit at the door and looked through it to see where I was, talked and honked into the glass.... She will follow me around and when she stops walking, she starts trying to build a nest. We ended up fencing off our backyard to keep all the animals, especially the cranes, from dragging out stuff, but now she stands there closest to the house, bites the wire and honks at me while I'm in the house or outside.

I feel bad for her. She has 5 other swans out there with her, they have dog houses, hay, woods, and the temp pond.......

She is already honking for me this morning, but it's too cold to go out yet.

 

[destinduck]

The others just wont do. She wants you to be her mate,

Hopefully she'll get the idea shes a swan. Is the pond raised at the edge or is it level to the ground? My friends blacks didnt swim much either but when he made a new concrete pond with gently sloping sides it made all the difference. Rodger on the cold .BRRR!!!

 

[J3172]

My 4 come out way more then my mutes, but they have a legit natural pond... when they come out they are usually grazing. I had a giant canada goose gosling like that, I hand raised her. It took her awhile but she finally excepted that she was goose, for the longest time she was scared of the other giants.

 

[waterdog]

Swans and Geese that are not parent raise can imprint on people to the point that they will never pair up with there own kind. We had an Emperor goose my boys raised that never paired with anything, just loved to follow everyone around. We kept her as a pet she would come out in the backyard everyday while we did chores and would even help weed the strawberry patch. Don't know if this swan was parent raised or not but a bigger pond may entice her to spend more time in the water and be a swan.

 

[chickenzoo]

We are working on getting a pond dug ( just been here since end of Aug and trying to sell the other house). She hangs out with the others at times, her brother is out there also and she will follow him sometimes, but it's just these last 3 months she's been like this with me. She was with her brother as a cygnet and was hatched by her parents. She is just a yearling.....before she avoided me and ran.... I thought she would never be friendly, boy was I wrong. The others that are friendly I've had since they were very little, even younger than her when I got them. The others have always stayed out of the water more than I thought they should.. but they do spend time in their temp pond and seem to enjoy it. I've not given her any special attention except talking to her, she just started to take a liking to me, she likes me more than she likes my husband... hehe When I would sit on my back porch to work on something she started to come over and see what I was doing, then she would lay down near me and talk to me... even with tools going. Like I said, it's just been recently...... I just feel bad for her when she is chewing on the fence and honking at me.

 

[destinduck]

Oh no Waterdog and J3172. I may be in the same boat as chickenzoo if I have baby magellans running around this spring. Must... resist... the... cuteness.

 

[chickenzoo]

DD.... I must come see all your cuties one day..... After I build a pond, .... See what other critters I may want to add to my list.

 

[destinduck]

You're more than welcome as long as I can see your beautiful birds when I come that way.

This past year I had lots of BYC friends stop by and look at the birds and some bought some to take home. I also gave away a bunch of mallards and red golden pheasants towards the end. (had too many of both of these this last year Whew!) Why cant it ever be extra baikals or something like that huh? God I wish I could have a nice spread in the country like yours

. I have only about a 1/2 acre here to play with.Until my wifes dog passes(He only 6) and then its bird zoo time in the back yard. 100x100 feet more to play with. WHOO! HOO!!!