Ducks are semi-aquatic birds whose fundamental welfare needs including access to water for bathing and foraging are rarely met in commercial production.
Ducks have evolved specific behavioral needs around water that are deeply compromised in commercial production. Access to open water for bathing, preening, and feeding is not a luxury but a fundamental welfare requirement. Without it, ducks cannot maintain feather waterproofing, clean their bills and eyes, or engage in normal social and foraging behaviors. The evidence for suffering from water deprivation is clear in behavioral and health studies. Despite this, the vast majority of commercial duck operations provide no open water, causing preventable chronic welfare problems.