Ducks are highly water-adapted birds whose welfare is profoundly compromised in intensive farming systems that deny them access to open water for bathing, swimming, and natural behavior.
Denying ducks open water access is one of the most clear-cut examples of industrial farming ignoring fundamental species needs. Ducks are not physiologically adapted to nipple drinkers — they require immersive water contact to clear their eyes and nostrils, preen effectively, and thermoregulate. Eye and respiratory problems are chronic in water-deprived flocks. The frustration of motivation blocked by environment — ducks near nipple drinkers attempting swimming movements — represents a specific category of welfare compromise that behavioral scientists call motivational deprivation. Foie gras gavage causes esophageal trauma and liver disease that causes discomfort and compromised breathing. The scale of duck farming — billions annually — means that even modest welfare improvements would have enormous aggregate impact.