I see what you are saying, Miss Lydia, but I think they actually can choose the life they want, if given the choice. They were obviously raised in captivity and released. Ducks like that most often do indeed quickly become very reluctant to being grabbed or herded by humans, and only see humans as sources of food. These ducks were fed in a coop, but did not choose to stay, because they have gone "wild", where they have the freedom to do whatever they want.
Only, they aren't wild and can't fly away when water freezes. That's what they don't know before the first winter comes. They don't know about ice. Yet, even when there is ice, most will still do whatever they can to avoid being grabbed by a human, unless they are weakened by the elements and lack of food. The best way to determine if released domestics might make it somewhere in the winter is to observe if wild dabbling ducks stay there all winter or not. If not, a bad sign. (Of course, if there is duck hunting in the area, that may be the reason wild ducks don't stay somewhere in the cold weather months.)
P.S. By the way, if anyone needs to know, whole corn glides very well on ice. Dry cat food and Mazuri Maintenance can, too. (If there are hungry seagulls around, though, better stick with the whole corn, because the gulls can eat all the dry food.) Also, if the ice is mushy on top, whole corn might sink a little in the ice mush, but the ducks can still see it and will dabble for it.
