Swans have raised their cygnets for thousands of years without people throwing food onto their nests.
Food thrown onto or near nests encourages rats.
They might be tempted to tunnel under the nests if food is nearby! They eat eggs of wait until the cygnets are hatching out to eat them.
Unwanted food goes mouldy or rotten, causing disease.
Mothers do not eat much whilst sitting on eggs.
They go into a semi-trance and sleep a lot whilst incubating their eggs.
Mothers can get off their nest occasionally for a quick break, to bathe and feed.
Fathers sometimes take a turn sitting, to protect the eggs, although they do not have a brood pouch to share the incubation properly.
If there isn’t much natural food and swans getting off the nest seem hungry, put their food in the water, only as much as they can eat.
Otherwise, leave them in peace and privacy to live their wild lives
You can download ‘No feeding’ advice poster here for you to use.
