Farmed Duck Welfare: Addressing Industry-Wide Challenges

Ducks farmed for meat and foie gras face specific welfare challenges including access to water, housing design, and the particularly severe harms of force-feeding.

Key Facts

Approximately 3 billion ducks are slaughtered for food globally each year
Ducks are highly motivated to access open water for bathing, preening, and feeding behaviors
Most commercial duck housing provides insufficient water access for these natural behaviors
Foie gras production involves force-feeding (gavage) to enlarge the liver — banned in many countries
Pekin ducks are the primary meat breed globally; Muscovy ducks are raised in some regions
Respiratory infections are common in ducks kept in poorly ventilated, high-humidity housing

Welfare Considerations

Farmed ducks have strong species-specific needs that commercial production frequently fails to meet. Access to open water is not a luxury for ducks — it is essential for thermoregulation, feather maintenance, ocular health (ducks need water to clean their eyes and nares), and expression of natural foraging behavior. Ducks provided only nipple drinkers instead of open water show signs of chronic frustration and compromised eye and feather health. Foie gras production represents an extreme welfare violation through forced overfeeding that causes pain, liver pathology, and movement difficulties. Even conventional duck farming requires significant reform to meet basic welfare needs. Higher welfare standards for ducks lag behind those for chickens and pigs.

What You Can Do

Reduce or eliminate duck meat and foie gras consumption given welfare concerns
Support bans on foie gras production and import in your country
Choose duck products only from farms with verified open-water access for birds
Advocate for species-specific welfare standards for farmed ducks
Support research into commercially viable duck housing that provides water access
Contact retailers and restaurants about their duck supply chain welfare standards