Feeding Swans in the Winter 

NO Two Ponds or Water Environments will Experience
the Same Conditions in the Winter Months.
You may need to become Creative to Ensure Your Swans
are Getting Enough to Eat. 

Click to Enlarge Images

Swans like all Birds and Animals need Food to Live.

During the Cold Winter Months Swans NEED Supplemental
Grains – Pellet Poultry Feeds – Vegetables.

Your Captive Swans are Pets – They Depend on You.

Trying to Rescue and Move a Swans in Frigid Temperature,
when Ice is on their Water Environment.. Lake – Pond, etc.
is VERY Dangerous.

The BEST Thing you can do for your Swans is Prepare for Winter during the Fall Months.
AND then Feed them Daily so they have the Calories for Quick Energy to Keep them Warm.

We Always want our Swans to Stay IN or Near their Water.

BE SAFE when you Feed your Swans ! 

Try to Find a Safe Way to Push Food Items out to the Swans.
In this Situation I used a Long Handled Pool Skimmer Net.

 Whole Corn provides Extra Calories.

Whole Corn is Not a Complete Diet.

Add some Whole Grain Cereals.

MultiGrain Cheerios, Kix, Plain Corn and Bran Flake Cereals.

Select the Plainer Cereals

Mix in Vegetables – Lettuce, Chopped Apples, etc.

Choose Cereals without Yeast or Color Dyes.

Whole Grain Cheerios and Plain Corn and Bran Flakes.

Our Swans LOVED Honey Graham Squares.

Puffed Wheat – Puffed Rice – Kix Cereals.

Plain Graham Crackers are a Safe Treat.

This Only works with Mute Swans.
A Visual Indicator of Weight –

A Healthy Adult Mute Swan will have a Full Knob.

If they are Underweight their Knob will start to Shrink.

A Mix of Chopped Vegetables and Cereals.

When our Swans were on a Large Body of Water, I brought their Lunch in a Colorful Bucket that they would see from a Distance.

Having Water Close to their Food-Feed
makes Swallowing much Easier.

Swans are Grazers.. Many Wild Birds, Ducks and Geese are Gobblers.  It can be a CHALLENGE to ensure your Swans are getting their Proper Share of the Food you Put Out for them.

You will need to be Creative..

The Type of Food-Feed Containers you use may help.
Every Situation is Different.

Duck and Geese will Clean-Up most Leftover Foods.

When Winter Nights Freeze their Vegetable Basket,
Put Vegetables that Float on their Water.

Swans will be Grateful for the Food you Bring to them.

Many Swans will Snort “Thank You.”

Winter Support = Healthier Swans.

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Information Compiled by (C) Linda M.Sweger November 2015
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