Swans

[kangababy]

I got my first black swan this past weekend (male 3 years old) and I will be picking up a female next weekend (will be 2 in the fall).
Right now I am keeping him in my catch pen with my waterfowl and we are trying to decide if we want to build them their own avairy or if we let them go if they will hang out on our pond. We have wild mallards (and oterh ducks) and geese the fly in and out every day and the pond is around an acre with an insland in the middle of it.

It is stocked with catfish. I also have Sebastobol geese on the pond and a pair on Pintails that escaped from my pen.

Any advice would be great..

 

[chickenzoo]

My Black swans are pretty tolerant of many other fowl, but my Sebbie geese tend to boss them around and steal their food. Smaller ducks may get bossed by the swans, it just depends on their temperment, some are just more aggressive then others.....
. Edited to add... All my swans are pinioned

 

[waterdog]

Kanga,
If you don't have ant other ponds nearby they would be fine on large pond. We have an acre pond with no other ponds nearby and have kept swans for twenty years never had any wander off they stay right near the pond.

 

[kangababy]

There is a pond right behind it but unless they fly they can't get there and the river is about a mile away. We may put them in out big duck pen but that makes me nervous

 

[kangababy]

Ours swans have not laid this year and I don't think they will.
Hopefully next year beacuse Mr Swan is over protect and doesn't like anyone in thepen at all.. He is in pull attack mode