Ducks are semi-aquatic birds with strong motivation for water immersion that is frustrated in most commercial production systems, creating significant welfare deficits addressed only partially by current regulations.
Duck welfare in commercial production is substantially compromised by the absence of water access for bathing and immersion — a behavioural need as fundamental to duck welfare as perching is to hen welfare. In the wild, ducks spend hours each day in water: foraging, bathing, preening, and social interactions. The preening motivation is particularly significant — ducks apply preen gland oil to waterproof their feathers through water-assisted preening that is impossible without access to open water. Commercial ducks denied bathing access show elevated ocular discharge, dirty plumage, and frustration behaviours. Studies using preference testing consistently show that ducks value water access highly — they will work harder to access open water than any other enrichment. The regulatory gap is significant: broiler legislation that covers chickens does not extend to ducks, and the absence of species-specific standards allows the continuation of housing systems that deny a fundamental behavioural need. Consumer pressure through welfare-certified duck products that require water access is currently the most effective lever.