Waterfowl have specialized welfare needs including access to water for bathing and feeding. Intensive farming of ducks and geese frequently denies these fundamental requirements.
Waterfowl welfare has received less attention than chicken welfare despite similar production numbers. Ducks evolved as aquatic birds with behavioral and physiological needs tied to water — they use water to clean their eyes and nostrils, maintain feather waterproofing, and engage in natural feeding behavior by dabbling. Commercial duck farming without open water access forces birds into permanently dirty feather conditions, causes ocular discharge and nasal blockage, and denies species-specific natural behavior. Foie gras production deliberately induces painful liver disease through force-feeding and is banned in the UK and many other countries but continues in France and elsewhere. Geese farmed for meat or down experience the additional welfare cost of their complex social and emotional lives being disrupted by commercial management.