Ducks raised for meat and foie gras production have species-specific welfare needs related to water access and natural behaviour that are frequently unmet in commercial systems.
Ducks are waterfowl with fundamental motivations to access open water for swimming, bathing, and preening that are directly linked to their biological and behavioural needs. Denying access to bathing water causes both physical consequences — dirty plumage, eye and nasal discharge, impaired thermoregulation — and the psychological frustration of an unmet motivated behaviour. Commercial duck production that provides no water access beyond nipple drinkers represents a significant welfare compromise. Foie gras production, which deliberately induces liver disease through force-feeding to produce an enlarged liver, is one of the most clearly welfare-compromising agricultural practices and has been banned or heavily restricted in a growing number of jurisdictions. Consumer choice to avoid foie gras and to choose duck products from higher-welfare systems with water access is a direct welfare lever.