Ducks are highly water-adapted birds whose welfare in intensive systems suffers profoundly from denial of water for bathing and swimming — a fundamental behavioural need with major health implications.
Duck welfare in intensive systems is compromised at the most fundamental level: the denial of water access for bathing and swimming is not merely a restriction of preference but a cause of active physical harm. Without bathing water, nasal and ocular tissue health deteriorates, plumage loses its waterproof function causing temperature dysregulation, and feather pecking — a pain-inducing vice — increases. The motivational strength of water-seeking in ducks is comparable to hunger; research shows ducks will choose water access over food, demonstrating its priority in their value hierarchy. The fix is technically simple — open water provision — but resisted by producers on cost and biosecurity grounds. Consumer demand for higher-welfare duck, combined with regulatory mandates, is the most effective lever.