Ducks are farmed by the billions globally for meat and eggs, yet their highly specific welfare needs — particularly access to water — are almost universally ignored in commercial systems.
Duck welfare in commercial systems is compromised most fundamentally by the systematic denial of water access. Research using preference testing reveals that ducks are highly motivated to bathe — it is not merely a preference but a behavioral need. Without bathing water, ducks suffer eye irritation and infection (often leading to blindness), inability to maintain feather condition (essential for thermoregulation), and chronic frustration. Foie gras production additionally involves force-feeding to produce hepatic steatosis (diseased liver), causing acute physical distress. The combination of breed-related health problems, crowding, and water deprivation makes intensive duck farming one of the higher-suffering farmed animal systems.