Why water access is a fundamental welfare need for farmed ducks and how the industry must change.
The denial of meaningful water access to farmed ducks is one of the clearest examples of industrial farming compromising a fundamental species need. Ducks evolved as waterfowl and their entire behavioral repertoire depends on water. Bill-dipping, eye washing, preening, and foraging are all water-dependent behaviors that cannot be performed with nipple drinkers. The evidence is unambiguous: providing water access dramatically improves duck welfare and must become a minimum standard in duck farming regulations globally.