Instructions
Choose a habitat. Swans prefer fresh water lakes and ponds. Choose a pond or lake that is clean as unclean environments will cause health issues for the swans.
Feed your swans. Swans primarily feed on insects, seeds and water plants that occur naturally in the pond or lake. Supplement their diets with cracked corn --- also referred to as "scratch" --- in the summer. In the winter, supplement their diets with a layer waterfowl pellets which are higher in protein and are available at most local feed stores.
Address roaming. If your swans are happy in their environment, they will generally not roam. If there are sources of harassment, noise, pollution or lack of food in their environment, your swans will attempt to move to a better territory. Do not overpopulate the pond area as swans will also attempt to roam if there are too many swans in their current environment. Prevent roaming by asking your veterinarian to clip your swans' wings so they are unable to fly away but are still able to fly for short distances to avoid predators. Request that your veterinarian pinion your swans which involves removing the last bone in one wing under anesthesia. A swan that has been pinioned is unbalanced and will not fly away.
Prepare for mating. Realize that swans mate for life and may or may not choose a new partner if their partner dies or is killed. In the spring, swans make a nest that is 5 to 6 feet in diameter on the shore of the pond or lake. The cob will lay her eggs and sit on them for about 32 days until they hatch. While swans are nesting or when their babies or "cygnets" are in the area, they will chase other waterfowl from their territory, so ensure there are no other waterfowl nearby during mating season.
Prepare to move your swans. Your swans will occasionally need veterinary care or may need to be moved. Herd your swans into a carrier to move them or lure them with food, if possible.
How to Keep a Pair of Swans
Swans are the largest waterfowl. Despite their size, they are both graceful and quick. Swans can be challenging to keep in captivity. They can be very protective of their perceived territories, especially during the breeding and mating season. Both males, called "pens," and females known as "cobs," will aggressively protect their nesting areas. They are known to attack adults and small children as well as watercraft that enter their nesting areas, so their nesting areas can be virtually unusable to people during nesting season. They are also subject to predation, so you have to pay special attention to keeping their enclosures secure.