Ducks have specific welfare needs including water access for bathing and bill cleaning. Many commercial duck farms deny water access; force-feeding for foie gras production represents extreme welfare compromise.
Duck welfare in farming is shaped by species-specific needs that conventional housing systems routinely fail to meet. Water access for bathing and bill cleaning is a fundamental duck welfare requirement — without it, ducks develop conjunctivitis, bill malocclusion from inability to forage naturally, and dirty plumage compromising thermoregulation. Foie gras production is among the most ethically contested food products globally; the force-feeding process causes acute distress and the resulting hepatic lipidosis constitutes a disease state. The welfare science is clear: force-feeding causes suffering, and the product results directly from that suffering. Higher welfare duck farming providing pond access, free-range environments, and appropriate housing demonstrates that duck welfare and commercial production are compatible when species needs are genuinely accommodated.