Laying ducks farmed for eggs have the same water access needs as meat ducks, yet commercial laying systems routinely deny them bathing water, causing the same suite of behavioral frustration and health consequences.
Duck welfare in egg production receives even less attention than in meat production, despite the same fundamental mismatch between biological need and production system design. Laying ducks are semi-aquatic birds whose feather maintenance, ocular health and thermoregulation depend on access to water for bathing. Commercial laying systems across most of Asia and much of the world provide drinking water only, leaving ducks unable to submerge their bills, clean their plumage or satisfy the strong bathing drive that is central to normal duck behavior. The welfare consequences — dirty feathers, eye inflammation, frustrated bathing movements directed at drinking water — are measurable and preventable. Consumer demand for certified higher-welfare duck eggs and regulatory requirements for water access represent the primary levers for improvement.