Does anyone keep swans?

[luvchickens]

Don't hear or read much about people keeping swans. Graceful, beautiful large birds. Are they too aggressive to keep? Anyone breed them?

 

[Marigold]

I think in the UK its illegal because technically they belong to the Queen, at least the ones in the River Thames do. Every year they have an event called the Swanupping where they're all rounded up and counted by men in funny royal uniforms. It would very ain't be illegal to kill one as they're classified as a wild bird here, though many do live on rivers and canals where they get used to people coming along to feed them.

See http://www.royal.gov.uk/LatestNewsandDiary/Pressreleases/2014/SwanUpping2014.aspx

And http://www.vintnershall.co.uk/?page=swan_upping

Its different here in England!

 

[geckodan]

I keep black swans. What species were you considering.

 

[Marigold]

The ins I was talking about are mute swans. I've seen black swans like Geckodan's and they're really lovely birds. Can you post a pic of yours, Geckodan? How much water do you need for them?

 

[luvchickens]

I'm not considering keeping any swans -- just wondering if other folks kept them, and if their eggs are any good to eat. People raise chickens, ducks and geese, but I've never heard of anyone keeping swans. Not even sure what a swan's egg looks like.

Are goose eggs good to eat? Where I grew up, folks ate chicken and duck eggs. I was too young to remember much about the goose my family had -- only that it was white and I was warned to stay away from it as it was aggressive. For that matter, so was the white duck. Both would try to bite me.

 

[geckodan]

I don't have any pics handy. The blacks are less water reliant and actually spend most of their day beside the water. They wouldn't be much good for eggs - they only lay 4-6 per year