Do you mean free range 24/7 are just during the day? they will need a secure house to be locked into at night or you won't have your ducks for long even on a pond. In my ducks houses they have lots of nice fluffy shavings to make their nest in and lay eggs.
Well free range is nice but depends on your set up, will they have a large area to free range in will it be fenced? there are always risks with free ranging but alot of us do it. Mine free range over a half acre fenced and sometimes when home I do open the gate and let them go further. but you have to take into consideration there will be predators in the day and night and you can lose them, you just have to decide for yourself. When I open the gate I stay outside with them. As for nesting provide a out of the way corner you can lay a piece of scrap board up against the wall and secure it they like to get under things to lay just make it comfy and large enough they get get into it safely. with bedding and they will lay their eggs in there hopefully but you may find you'll need to let them out later in the morning so they do lay inside other than around the homestead. Mine are so use to laying in their houses they will seek them out if they haven't laid by the time I let them out in the morning.
