Overwintering ducks (and other Questions)

Congrats on your ducks!!! This will be our first winter with ducks too! From everything we've read, ducks are much heartier in the winter weather than chickens. I'm planning on letting mine out each morning like I've done since spring. If they want to stay in the coop, they can. I had a separate pen for the ducks but they decided they'd rather be in the coop with the chickens at night. I'd suggest offering them a draft-free area in the coop if you have room. My chickens roost so that leaves the entire floor available for the ducks.

A pond isn't necessary. I have big plastic tubs that I bought at TSC. They are sturdy and easy to dump/refill each morning. We also use a turtle sandbox as a pool which works well too. Mine mate right in the tub/pool and I've also seen them doing it on the grass. When it starts freezing, we plan to do away with the tubs until spring and just use buckets with squares cut into them, just big enough for them to get their heads in to drink (we've already introduced those so it won't be a shock.)

I feed mine 18% layer/breeder pellets supplemented with cracked corn, wheat or oats. All my birds get the same feed because it's too hard to separate everybody. They all want what the others have but everybody is doing just fine.

Overall I've found that ducks are happy no matter what you do. Just offer them dry feed, lots of water and a warm place at night and hopefully they'll be just fine!