Ducks farmed for meat and foie gras face significant welfare challenges including deprivation of water for bathing, forced feeding practices and inadequate housing conditions.
Ducks are semi-aquatic birds whose welfare is profoundly compromised by standard commercial farming practices. Their need for water extends beyond drinking — bathing is a fundamental behavior for feather maintenance, thermoregulation and ocular health. Without bathing access, ducks develop dirty plumage, eye infections and frustrated foraging drives. Foie gras production, legal in many countries though banned in others, involves gavage feeding that veterinary authorities widely recognize as causing pain and stress. Even in standard duck production, stocking densities, litter quality and slaughter methods require urgent welfare reform attention.