MALE – FEMALE SWAN PAIRING

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BROOD SWANs – Swans that will Breed – have Young.
A Male = Cob & a Female = Pen
The Classic MALE & FEMALE Pairing.
With Cygnets “Sire” & “Dam”

Before you Decide to Acquire Swans
You should think about whether you want Cygnets or Not..
For Basic BackYard Breeding..

These are Male – Female Pairings..

There are Same Sex Swan Pairings.
These will be Discussed on a Different Topic Page.

A Male-Female Pairing is the Classic Image of Swans..
I do my Best to Arrange for Unrelated Pairs..

Responsible Ownership of Captive Mute Swans
https://swanlovers.net/category/responsible-ownership-of-captive-mute-swans/

Having a Brood Pairing will Generally mean Cygnets Annually ..

You can NOT have Two Pair of Adult Mute Swans on One Pond or Lake.
One Mute Pair will Protect 10-15-20 Acres of Water and Property..

One Trumpeter Swan Pair will Protect Close to 100 Acres of Water and Property.

Trumpeter Swan Society < < < You can Learn about the Trumpeter Swans Here.
12615 Rockford Rd, Plymouth, MN 55441
https://www.trumpeterswansociety.org/

ALL Privately Owned Trumpeters Swans MUST be Registered with the:
United States Department of Interior (413) 253-8643
Fish & Wildlife Service P.O.Box 779 Hadley, MA (Mass) 01035-0779

Black Australian Swans are Delightful.. Lots of “Chirps and Tweets.”

BLACK AUSTRALIAN SWANs
https://swanlovers.net/category/black-australian-swans/

Black Australian Swans are Legal Exotic Domestic Poultry in All U.S. States.
Black Australian Swans Nest TWICE a Year.. May Produce LOTs of Cygnets.
There are Fewer Black Australian Swans in BackYards.
It is Trickier to Arrange Homes. It is GOOD to Get to Know Others with them.

We had One Visit with These Black-Necked South American Swans.
No Experience with them Nesting.

Young UnRelated Swans will Pair-Bond as they Live Together..

During their Second Year/During the Winter
A Young Mute Pair ca. 20 Months Old will Start Pair-Bonding.

The Young Females, ca. 20 Months Old are Receptive for Mating with Mature Cobs.

There are a Few Juvenile Females that will Successful Nesting when Just 22-24 Months Old.

Most Pens are Mature for Nesting by the Age of Three..

The Average Age that Mute Swans are Mature for their First Nesting is 32-36 Months.

Once Swans are Three Years Old, they are Generally Mature Enough
to Mate, Build a Nest, Lay some Eggs.

The First Year Swans Nest may have Mixed Results, the Swans are Learning,

More Eggs as the Healthy Pens Mature. (6-9 Eggs)
More Success Hatching Cygnets.

Living with the Parent Swans, some Cygnets will be Lost,
to a variety of Nature’s Hazards.. Some will Survive and do Well.

You may Allow Cygnets to Hatch or the Eggs can be Spoiled..
There are Ways to Manage.. whether to have Cygnets or Not..

Maybe you want Cygnets Some Springs..

But Decide to NOT have them Other Years..

The Swans will NEED to Nest.. That Can NOT be Avoided.

Timing Swan Eggs to Hatching
https://swanlovers.net/category/timing-swan-eggs-to-hatch/

During Nesting, the Eggs can be Oiled or Replaced..
to keep Cygnets from Hatching every Year..
This is a Choice, to have Cygnets some Years.. No Cygnets some Years.

SWAN REPLACEMENT EGGs
https://swanlovers.net/category/swan-replacement-eggs/

IF at ALL POSSIBLE – Arrange for UnRelated Swans.
When you Adopt a Brother and Sister this will
Reduce the Genetic Pool of their Cygnets.

Remember that Cygnets Acquired from the Same Parents,
but Different Years.. are Still Brother and Sister..

The Mute Pair below are Related.. They are from Different Years.
They have Common Parents from a Large Lake of Swans Allowed to In-Breed.
Their Cygnets have been Healthy.. A Small Number of their Eggs do not Hatch.

The Female Swans below are SISTER !
One from 2017 – the Other from 2018- Same Parents.

Since we do not have Wild-Feral Mute Swans – but Mainly Captive Pets.
There tends to be a Small Population of BackYard Swans.
You need to Make an Effort to Arrange Unrelated Pairs.

The Feral Mute Swan Pair above and below were Destroyed..
We are Not Sure if Any of their Cygnets Hatched Together Survived.

When there is Poor Diversity in the Gene Pool the Swans are Prone
to Poor Nesting Result – Fewer Eggs Hatch – Cygnets with Birth Defects
– Weaknesses – Failure to Thrive – Poor Immune Systems – Prone to Diseases.

This Tiny Mute Cygnet Below was NOT Healthy when it Hatched.. Poor WaterProofing.
This Little One would not Eat – Died. There were Two other Cygnets that were Healthy..

The Young Mute Male Below Seemed OK for his First 8 Weeks..
Then his Sluggish Behavior Suggested Something was Wrong..
One Afternoon he was Gasping for Air.. His Heart was Failing as he was Growing.

We were Unable to Determine if this Neck Deformity was Genetic or from an Injury.
The Avian Pathologist that Evaluated him has seen these Neck Deformities Before.
Commented that this Might begin while the Cygnets was Forming in the Eggs.
“Maggie” was Vent-Sexed – During the Necropsy Identified as Male.

If you have a Nearby Neighbor who has Brood Swans on their Pond.
It would be Good to get to Know them.

When you Both have Cygnets it is Good to be able to
Arrange UnRelated Male-Female Cygnet Pairs..

This Young Pairing of Mute Swan Cygnets are from Two Different BackYard Ponds.

And, Both Broods will Need to be Pinioned about the Same Time..
and have their DNA Samples Collected at the Same Time..
So, you might have Other Hands to Help with these Projects.

This is a Lineage Chart of some of the Mute Swans we have Help Arrange Home for.
It was Fun to Organize.. (-;

If you Want a Male – Female Pairing.. But, NO Cygnets.
Then.. having Siblings and Spoiling their Eggs is Reasonable.
You will Still have the Graceful Beauty of the Classic Swan Pair.

Cygnets are CUTE ! And Cygnets are Work.

It is Illegal to Allow Swan Cygnets to JUST Fly Away.

Their Fate is NOT to Live a Life Wild and Free.. They are DESTROYED !

All Cygnets should be Pinioned by 21 Days Old, So they are Grounded for Life..
Pinioned Cygnets will be Safer Domestic Pets for their New Owners.
It is Much Easier to Find them Homes.

Pinioning is Permanent
https://swanlovers.net/category/pinioning-is-permanent/

Watching the Whole Annual Breeding, Nesting, Cygnets Phases is Wonderful..

Watching the Swans Devotion and Affection for Each Other is Beguiling.

The Swans are Very Gentle with their Tiny Cygnets.. they are Adored.

It is Enchanting to Observe the Swans Love each Other, and their Tiny Cygnets.
Very Classic Images.

When there are Growing Cygnets on a Pond for the Summer,
Some Sires will CONTINUE to be Hormonal Longer as he Protects his Family..

So, if you were Planning to Fish, Swim or Boat..
that might not be Acceptable to the Sire.. It is his Pond.

During the Nesting Season – Cobs are more Aggressive – GIVE them SPACE !
NEVER Turn Your Back on a Hormonal Swan Cob !
DO NOT WEAR WHITE – Or Take White Object to the Pond Area !

Male Swans – Cobs – Sires are Something..
They are Wonderful – FULL of Personality..
I LOVE them. ( BIG SMILE ! )
But, they NEED to be Understood with Respect and Patience..

As Ground Nesting Birds, the Swan Cob MUST be Fierce
During the Nesting Season to Protect his Pen on their Nest.

A Mature Cob with a Pen starts his Increasing Hormonal Behavior
Late December-Early January and Continues through Nesting.

When there are Younger Cygnets..
A Cob-Sire MAY be a Protective Mess for a Few more Weeks.. into Early June.

I have Loved our Experiences with Nesting Swans
and their Cygnets with all their Extra Challenges..

Summer’s Surviving Cygnets should be DNA-Sex Determined in August-September.

At 12-16 Weeks, it is Time to Submit the Cygnets DNA Samples to Determine their Sex.

Determine the Sex of Swans-Cygnets by DNA
https://swanlovers.net/category/determine-the-sex-of-swans-cygnets-by-dna/

By Late August-September it is Time to Start to Arrange for New Homes.

Cygnets that are Pinioned and DNA Checked will Fetch a Higher Adoption Fee..

IT is WISE to have All Healthy Cygnets Rehomed by Thanksgiving.
This Breeding Process will Repeat for 5-15 Years..
If your Adult Swans are Healthy, Happy and Safe..

Sold/Adopted to/Rehomed by Thanksgiving. (6-8 Months Old)
Most People are Busy from Thanksgiving through the New Year..
Moving Swans is NO Fun to do during Snowy-Icy Winter Months.

By 5 Months Old, Mute Cygnets are Feathered Out – Weigh between 12-20 Pounds.
They are READY to Start a New Life on a Forever Pond.

Few Adult Swans will Tolerate their Growing Cygnets
when it is Time for Mating and the Next Nesting Season.

Over Time – by ReHoming Healthy Cygnets to Others for an Adoption Fee..
Scaled by their Age.. You will Recover some of your Cost of Caring for Swans..
This is NOT a Money Making Hobby..
Cygnets will Eat ALL Profits.. They are Eating Machines as they Grow.

Early in January, the Reproductive Hormones of Mature Swans Start to Increase.
You will see their Beaks Flush with Pinks.. Lots of Mating..

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If you are Planning for Swans to be on a Pond or Lake with Multiple Family Homes..

I Want you to Think about what it will be like to have a Breeding Pair of Mute Swans,
Living on a Pond or Lake with other Property Owners..

Be Aware. Check with your HOA.. And/or your Neighbors.
Not All Neighbors will be Understanding of the Annual
Behavior Changes of a Breeding Pair of these BIG BIRDs.

A Swan Cob, that was Easy-going all Summer and Fall
WILL become a Holy Unpredictable, Aggressive, Territorial Boss
of the Pond or Lake and some of the Lawns around it.

During this Time all you can really do is GIVE HIM SPACE.
AND LOTs of Understanding.

Any Person or Child or Dog that Steps Over the Cob’s “Line” will be Chased..
Challenged to STEP-Back ! > > > Possibly Attacked.
Swans have very Little Bite Pressure.. but, they CAN FLOG !!! OUCH !!

It is about 50/50 once their Cygnets Hatch.. Some Cobs REMAIN in Protective Mode..

Some Cob-Sires Calm Down, Once they know they can Scoot their Cygnets along
the Water and L > e > a > v > e >> any Person they think might Harm their Family.
Most Swan Families would rather Flee then Fight, if they can Swim away.

Most Male Cobs will be Easier to Live with from June to January.
Calm-Controlled ( Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde ) Unruly January to May.

A Reproductive Hormonal Cob is ALL Hormones – “Hormones with Wings.”
They Can Take OVER an Area for 10-12 Weeks.
You need to LEARN what is OK, Where his “LINE” is that you should not Cross..
Some Cob are Easier to Deal with. They are ALL Different..

I DO NOT like to Arrange a Breeding Pair for any Place where there are Frequent Visitors
who are Unfamiliar with Swans..
Public Parks, Hotel – Condominiums, Golf Courses, College Campuses, etc.

A Hormonal Cob can be a Liability.. They can SCARE People..
Attack and Flog, if someone gets too Close..
ALWAYS Warn your Guests.. to KEEP their Distance.

Swan Cobs are Quiet and Fast. You NEED to LEARN to Work with them..
NEVER Turn Your Back on a Hormonal Cob ! ! !
I Love Cobs.. and we Learned what to do to KEEP Them and Us Safe ! !

We have had Wide Ranges of Experiences during Brood Swans Nesting..
One Mature Cob Trusted me.. I could Walk Up to the Nest..
Brush his Female’s Breast Feathers so she would Stand-up
for me to Check her Eggs.. NO Problem.. (-;

Our Current Male.. would NEVER Allow me to do that
WITHOUT my Husband KEEPing him Busy..
“Meadow” is BIG, Beautiful and BAD !! Love Him.. (-;

The Swans we Love – “Meadow” and “Brooke.”
They are 12 Years Old in the Summer of 2021.

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IF Something Happens to One Swan of a Pair.. For a While.. Watch for Wandering..
Check the Lone Swan is on the Pond/Lake at SunSet and SunRise..

For a Period of Time the Remaining Swan may be Looking for their Lost Mate..

Try to Visit Several Times a Day.. Bring Small Treats.
Talk to them, Read to them, Play Music for them..

When it would be Time for a Lone Swan to Mate and Nest..
It is Suspected that Females May go looking for a Male..
?? More then a Male goes looking for a Female..

A Cob is more Likely to Stay with the Territory he Protects.
You may see a Cob “Singing” into the Air – Calling for a Female.

All Birds/Swans are Driven by their Reproductive Hormones..

The Mute Cob Below Lived to 30 Years Old.. He had FIVE Females during his Life Time.

A Swan that has Lost a Mate will Accept a New Companion/Mate.
Their Introduction and Adjustment may take a Little Time.
All Ages – Male or Females will Accept a New Cygnet/Swan if Given a Little Time.

The OLD Saying, that Swans Mate for Life and will NOT Accept Another is NOT True..
Sadly, there are Swans Living Alone because of this Old Saying.

A Lone Swan is a Lonely Swan
https://swanlovers.net/category/a-lone-swan-is-a-lonely-swan/

I have LOST ALL Counts of the Number of Lone Swans
that I have Arranged a Companion/Mate For.

The Mute Pair Below were a Joy to Visit.. Sadly, they are Gone.

Sweet Memories.

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I have tried to Summarize this..
If you have any Questions Ask.. Please !
The More Information you have – the Better Your Swan Success.

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This Information is Gathered from Our Experiences Working with Swans..
PA SwanLover Linda August 2021
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A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever …— John Keats.