IMPORTANT ORDERING INFORMATION: Swans are shipped on Wednesdays, via airline cargo, and will arrive the same day. They will need to be picked up from the airport upon arrival. Shipping and transportation crate is included in the price of your birds. Swans are not available for local pickup. All swans for sale by Meyer Hatchery are pinioned, which means they are unable to fly.
White Mutes are gorgeous and regal creatures, and in fact, the British Monarch claims all unmarked White Mute Swans in England as their property. White Mute Swans are not truly “mute” as their name implies, but are less vocal than other breeds of swans.
White Mute Swans must have access to water, fresh or coastal at all times. A typical domestic habitat may be a large pond, lake, or slow moving river. Meyer Hatchery’s swans are pinioned, but swans can travel great distances by land, so a 3-foot fence may be needed.
Swans enjoy aquatic vegetation as well as grasses and seeds around their water source. Additionally, household greens and waterfowl feed can be supplemented.
White Mute Swans will begin breeding at 3 years of age and mate for life. If their mate dies, they will seek out a new mate. Females tend to do so quickly, and often with a younger male. Ground nests near the water are made during the spring and a clutch will consist of 5-9 light blue or green eggs. During breeding season, males will be very protective of his nest mate and breeding grounds. Eggs hatch in about 37 days. A pair of swans will claim a 4 to 10-acre territory.
White Mute Swans have solid white feathers and an orange bill with a large black basal knob. Males can weigh more than 30 pounds and females around 20. They range from 49 to 67 inches in length and have a wingspan of nearly 8 feet wide. White Mute Swans can live for 20 to 30 years, sometimes longer in captivity.
Because of the size of the White Mute Swans, they have very few natural predators.