Ducks are waterfowl with fundamental behavioural needs for open water that are routinely denied in intensive production systems, causing significant welfare compromise through impaired preening, eye health, and social behaviour.
The welfare of farmed ducks is fundamentally compromised when water access is restricted to nipple drinkers. Bill washing is not a preference but a necessity — ducks use water to flush nasal passages and eyes that accumulate discharge from dry environments. Without this, eye and respiratory conditions become chronic sources of discomfort. Preening requires water to maintain the waterproofing of feathers; ducks denied bathing access develop deteriorated plumage that impairs thermoregulation and flight capability. Mating in ducks is aquatic — pairs forced to mate on dry land experience distress, and injury to females is higher. The scientific evidence is unambiguous: ducks are highly motivated to use open water and experience significant welfare improvement when it is provided. The gap between legal requirements and enforcement across Europe and globally represents one of the clearest unaddressed welfare failures in commercial poultry production.