Ducks are waterfowl with strong motivations to access water for swimming and foraging, and welfare in duck farming depends critically on whether these behavioral needs are met.
Duck welfare is fundamentally compromised by the denial of water access in conventional farming. Ducks are not chickens: they are waterfowl whose biology and behavior are oriented around water. Denial of bathing water causes eye inflammation, nasal occlusion, and feather condition deterioration. More fundamentally, it frustrates a deeply motivated natural behavior. Research using preference and motivational demand tests shows that ducks work hard to access open water, indicating its high value to them. Consumer pressure for water-access assurance is an effective lever for improving duck welfare.