Ducks are a wonderful pond animal. Not!

As great as they are as pets, they are highly messy and will pollute your pond beyond your wildest dreams. They will also 'over-fertilize' your yard! They do make great pets, however, especially if you raise them from hatchlings. If your focus is more on owning ducks and you don't care much for the pond, then own ducks. They do use water to 'sift' through their food and will rummage around in the mud and screen out any delectable items in your pond water, so having a clear pond and a duck just isn't going to happen. During the early spring, you may have wild ducks come to your home. They may think it would make a great place to nest and raise their young. That may be a nice little nature study for you. If you decide you'd rather not have them as guests, I suggest you buy a cat or a hyper little Jack Russell terrier.