Yes, you need to make sure that you are breaking the ice close to your home/yard. During the winter months, the swans can get trapped in or on top of the ice. Either case, they can die from exposure and even worse predation. Many predators use the winter ices to access the ponds and grab swans, ducks, geese etc. The closer you have the swans near the house during the winter months, the better their chances of survival, not only from inclement weather but predators. The Regal Swan