Ducks are highly water-adapted birds whose welfare in intensive farming is severely compromised by denial of open water access for swimming and bathing, which they are motivated to seek more strongly than shelter or nest boxes.
Duck welfare in intensive farming centres on water deprivation as a fundamental welfare insult. Ducks denied open water for swimming and bathing show higher stress indicators, increased aggression, and higher incidences of ocular and nasal disease than those with water access. The motivation for open water is so strong that ducks in preference tests will persistently choose access to water over food. Forced moulting, beak trimming, and overcrowding cause additional welfare harms in commercial duck production. The foie gras industry causes acute suffering through force-feeding ducks beyond normal physiological limits.