Swans

[Clive Tee]

Got a friend who has a small lake on his land. Swans breed there every year and have done for donkeys years. But the past 3-4 years all the signets have suddenly died at a few months old, usually within a week or two of each other. Not one has survived. They used to put out some grain for them, but when they started dying, they stopped, thinking that might be the problem (but why after years of doing it? But stop they did). Stopping the grain has made no difference at all, the signets just loose condition and die about Sept time. 2 years without grain now. The only key is that they loose condition, one carcass was inspected by vet and that was his only comment, not much muscle development. Before dying, you can see them swimming about with their heads getting low to the water and generally looking knackered.

I think it's the same pair of swans so could be genetic I guess, but they were OK before and have bred loads of healthy offspring.

The ground and lake are used by other species, a few Canada Geese, small wading birds etc etc, all seem healthy.

Probably like looking for a needle on a hay stack, but any ideas ?

Thanks

 

[llamedos]

Not enough food/nutrients in the pond to support more than the parents just a guess.

 

[Lincs Lass]

Has he got alot of blue algae in the water ,,its not good for anything

 

[Lincs Lass]

Lead poisoning,we had two Canada geese been living in the orchard for years ,,house next door was rented and their lad took great delight in letting rip with an air rifle ,,one of them was hit and she went down hill in a week ,,same symptoms

 

[Adeptandy]

I have mixed feelings about the creatures, until this year they have destroyed on average 25% of my OSR grazing it so low and deep into spring its never recovered. Rockets, banger ropes and gas guns they seem immune to now, even chasing them off on foot with the dog only takes 20mins before they return. CSFB did for it this year, so just the resident 10 or so in the W Wheat at the mo.

 

[Giles1]

Does the pond get fished?Swans here get poisoned by the lead weights,same as shot.
Adeptandy,I'll lend you some cows,mine killed a swan a few years ago.Not been one in that field since.

 

[Dr. Alkathene]

Botulism.

 

[billboy 1]

They'll break your arm you know !!

 

[pycoed]

Does the pond get fished?Swans here get poisoned by the lead weights,same as shot.
Adeptandy,I'll lend you some cows,mine killed a swan a few years ago.Not been one in that field since.

There's been no lead in fishing weights for 20 odd years...

 

[llamedos]

I think swans a pretty well known for not looking after their young, they certainly dont feed them, and once feathered they chase them away, so if the available nutrition in the pond is now low, broods of cygnets just are not going to survive, they may do for a short while, but then just slowly starve.

 

[renewablejohn]

Sounds like lead poisoning. My Grandad had a well known fishing pond in North Lincs with similar problem originally diagnosed with lead fishing weights so he banned them. Swans kept dying and eventually identified the problem as poachers wild fowling with lead shot. Eventually solved the problem with hidden camera's to identify the poachers then a quiet word with said poachers who where very understanding and changed there cartridges.

 

[Ley253]

There's been no lead in fishing weights for 20 odd years...

Not quite true, I know of one fisherman who makes up his own lead weights, and where theres one..........

 

[Adeptandy]

Does the pond get fished?Swans here get poisoned by the lead weights,same as shot.
Adeptandy,I'll lend you some cows,mine killed a swan a few years ago.Not been one in that field since.

I have been too by an RSPB customer if you shoot 1 the others tend to stay away, knowing my luck I'd be seen, get a £1k fine for it and still the flipping things would come back

 

[JohnGalway]

Had a low fly by this morning, have to say I like swans . Mind you they were almost ex swans as close as they came to the power lines.

 

[Adeptandy]

I like swans, just not on the OSR

 

[pycoed]

Not quite true, I know of one fisherman who makes up his own lead weights, and where theres one..........

I mean freshwater fishing weights - I know lots of people make their own sea weights (I do, too) but I can't believe anyone would make their own No. 9 shot just for float fishing! I may be wrong though...

 

[holywell farmer]

Got a friend who has a small lake on his land. Swans breed there every year and have done for donkeys years. But the past 3-4 years all the signets have suddenly died at a few months old, usually within a week or two of each other. Not one has survived. They used to put out some grain for them, but when they started dying, they stopped, thinking that might be the problem (but why after years of doing it? But stop they did). Stopping the grain has made no difference at all, the signets just loose condition and die about Sept time. 2 years without grain now. The only key is that they loose condition, one carcass was inspected by vet and that was his only comment, not much muscle development. Before dying, you can see them swimming about with their heads getting low to the water and generally looking knackered.

I think it's the same pair of swans so could be genetic I guess, but they were OK before and have bred loads of healthy offspring.

The ground and lake are used by other species, a few Canada Geese, small wading birds etc etc, all seem healthy.

Probably like looking for a needle on a hay stack, but any ideas ?

Thanks

dont kill them you will end up in tower of London

 

[Clive Tee]

Does the pond get fished?Swans here get poisoned by the lead weights,same as shot.
Adeptandy,I'll lend you some cows,mine killed a swan a few years ago.Not been one in that field since.

No fishing and everything else around the pond seems to be well. So guessing not lead.

 

[Clive Tee]

I think swans a pretty well known for not looking after their young, they certainly dont feed them, and once feathered they chase them away, so if the available nutrition in the pond is now low, broods of cygnets just are not going to survive, they may do for a short while, but then just slowly starve.

That seems to fit what happens. Thanks, we'll look into what cygnets eat.

 

[Clive Tee]

Botulism.

Interesting. I'll tell them about this. Apparently if they eat just a few fishing-bait maggots they can get Avian Botulism, but no fishermen so not that as it happens.

But one of the symptoms is that they can't hold up their heads. That's what happens. They seem to be getting on fine, then quite quickly at a later stage, they swim around looking dull with their heads low to the water.

Thanks, think this could just be the cause.

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