Ducks are the second most farmed poultry species globally and face distinctive welfare challenges including the denial of water access for bathing and swimming that is central to their behavioral biology.
Duck welfare suffers from a regulatory gap — the species-specific needs of waterfowl are inadequately covered by generic poultry regulations designed primarily around chicken welfare. The most fundamental duck welfare failure is water deprivation. Ducks are behaviorally and physiologically adapted to regular water access: they rely on water to clean their bills and preening glands, to maintain feather condition, and to perform foraging behaviors that are among their most strongly motivated activities. Ducks kept without open water access cannot perform these behaviors and develop eye and nasal conditions that impair sensory function. The welfare investment required to provide appropriate water access is modest — drinker systems that allow head immersion, or simple open water containers — but uptake is limited by cost concerns and the absence of regulatory requirements. Higher welfare certification schemes represent the primary driver of improvement.