You've got space to add a few ducks, no problem.
Whether or not your ducks run away will depend somewhat on how socialized they are. Give them treats like peas to get them used to you. It doesn't take them long to learn to follow you around. But even if they don't they shouldn't be too hard...
I did linoleum. Bought a piece of scrap at our local habitat for humanity re-store. If you're in the states then you may have one nearby. Otherwise you can potentially find scraps at a flooring or big-box hardware store.
Painting it might work but I don't think it would hold up as well.
As...