anyone own swans?

[Luvmyzoocrew]

I have a neighbor behind us that got two swans, at the begining of the summer they were both in our yard for one afternoon, not very afraid of us, it was way cute!!!!! So they left later that day , and we found out from their owner that they wandered around the corner where someone picked up one of them and took it. Fast forward to last night, the one that is still around is back in my yard!!!!! Fairly friendly, doesnt like the dogs and hisses at them, which i find funny,lol. I was at my vack door cleaning the glass and he was on the other side just watching me and ta lking to me. Then I went outside to clean the outside and he was right next to me talking to me, he is too cute.

So i want to know if he stays what can we do to make him warm? what do we feed him? we went to his owner and he could really care less about him, says that he wont stay put ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

 

[Yurusumaji]

The Diet of Swans

For warmth I know a lot of people will get them or build them a large house/hut and some people will even rig up a small space heater in there. You could also offer blankets and things.

If you intend to keep such a wandering traveler I would suggest you get an x-pen to contain it [something I guess your neighbor didn't think of?].

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

Kelli i dont necessarily want to keep him but if he is going to be staying i would like to make him comfortable, so i would hate to contain him since he is the neighbors. I didnt understand why there wasnt some kind of fenced in area for him either, who knows but people around here really bother the snot out of me,lol.

He is really cool, well i keep calling him he but i really dont know, we have been calling him Gus,lol.

thanks for the link i will check it out. if he does decide to call our place home we might think about building something for him but in the mean time i might make something temporary for him to hunker down in at night

 

[Yurusumaji]

I know that feeling. Hope everything turns out ok.

 

[irishbunny]

Is your garden enclosed so he can't get out? Do you have a pond? Is it a domestic swan?

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

my yard is not completely enclosed so he can come and go as he please, as he isnt mine,lol. I dont have a pond, and he is domestic, he was the neighbors and i guess since he isnt keeping him penned the swan isnt staying put. The neighbor , to whom the swan belongs to, does have a pond so we dont understand why he isnt staying there.

 

[Fancy77]

Fran u must have a very fun place to b thats why he likes it there. P.A.R.T.Y. lol

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

dang double post

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

ha ha ha well if the amount of poo this thing has left is any indication of the fun he is having, he is having a blast,lol

 

[DeniseJP]

Luvmyzoocrew wrote:

ha ha ha well if the amount of poo this thing has left is any indication of the fun he is having, he is having a blast,lol

Yeah, they have a habit of leaving their "cigars" around...

I saw they are quite expensive to purchase from a hatchery - surprised the neighbor let them wander... and not surprised one got grabbed but Ithink they like to be in pairs...

Best of luck with him - would love to see pics!

Denise

 

[Riverpines]

To keep it from roaming it would need a set up like a chicken coop with a yard thats fenced in and either the birds wings kept cut or bird netting would have to be used.

If larger predators are in the area, one swan may be at risk. It may have to be locked up in a coop at night for safety.

They also are classed as farm animals when they are tame and kept.
That limit who is allowed to keep them per local ordnance.

Swans can be kept like ducks and geese and fed waterfowl feed from the feed store.

They need water in a big kiddy pool at least and it would have to be changed often, very often!

They have nasty poo, another thing that would accumulate and need to be cleaned.

Swans are not true domestics. It will want to breed come breeding season and will try to find another of its own kind so running away will be its desire come that time. A tame swan still has wild instincts.
Unlike a chicken it wont be happy alone with no mate.

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

oohhh i find it sad that he wont be happy without his lovely lady one was snatched by a passerby. Well Gus was not around today so i guess we bored him and he has moved on. I have to say that, other then the poo, he was sssssssssoooooooo neat to have around. He would go after the dogs, which made me giggle cause my one just wanted to go up and check him out, and while i was out there cleaning the window he stood RIGHT next to me and was talking to me. It was too neat, i wont miss the poo though,lol.

Denise i do have pics from when they were both around in the begining of the summer and i do have pics of Gus from just the other day i will have to upload them toomorrow.

 

[cheryl]

Fran, that would have been such a lovely surprise to find a swan in your yard

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

Here are the original pics of them both in the begining of the summer, look at their necks looks like they are making a heart with them,lol.

Even back then we were able to get very close to them.

Then later that day they dissappeard, we thought it was the neatest thing to have swans in our back yard. I am from the city, you dont get things like this there , i have been living the country life now for 2 years and i am still in awe at my surroundings!!!! I have cows, sheeps, chickens for neighbors, i get Deer and Turkey around my grounds!!!! and the birds that i have seen since living here !!!!! the vibrant colors , it is amazing, i never seen this stuff living in the city!!!!!! we have actual peacocks running around here too

I found out that "my" swans were wondering the neighborhood, when they wondered around the corner to a corner store where someone saw a guy pull up and take the friendlier Swan and put him in his truck :shock: :tears2: , i found this out by a very non chilant (sp?) owner :grumpy: He apparently feels like he cant keep them on his property so oh well :nonono: WHATEVER!!!!!!!!!! he apparently has no safe enclosure for his swans.

Fast forward to earlier this week my hubby went to let the dogs out back and didnt see "GUS" (that is what me and the kids named him) when my one dog went running to where the bird was and my hubby heard HISSING!!!!!!! He did nt know what the heck it was and then he seen him, standing in all his beautifulness, wings arched up, standing so tall, and hissing,lol. He stayed for two days, i put water out in a bowl, but he rather liked the water in the puddle that i made while cleaning the dogs pen,lol. HE sat RIGHT out side my screen door!!!!!!! i cleaned my glass in my door and he came right up to me and was standing there watching me,lol, talking to me just watching. After two days he decided to leave, i have been out there looking for him, but he is gone, i just hope that he doesnt succumb to any wildlife, or some moron who wants to do him harm, or to god forbid get hit by a car!!!!!! I hope he knows we enjoyed him while he was here and he was a joy to watch.

Here he is hissing at my moms cats through the door, i thought that was ssssooo funny,lol. He was very friendly to us, but not so much with our animals,lol. Our cats where looking at him like WTH is that :shock:

The downfall to such a beautiful bird is the poops!!!!!!!!!!! for the love of Pete, i have e nough dog poop to clean up with three dogs that i dont need Swan poop,lol. If he ever gets litter boxed trained or learns to poop in the dog pen he is welcome to stay with us,lol

 

[Fancy77]

OH WOW what beautiful birds. Thx 4 sharing, It is too bad about the one being taken and its tooo bad about the neighbor

 

[irishbunny]

He is beautiful but wondering around like that is very dangerous for him. If you see him around again I'd try and trap him and call whoever deals with animal problems over there (cruelty investigators I think you call them?) they can deal with the owner then and maybe bring the swans somewhere safer.