Providing water sources deep enough for ducks to immerse their heads and perform bathing behavior is a fundamental welfare requirement now being incorporated into progressive certification standards.
Ducks deprived of head-immersion water cannot maintain basic hygiene of their sensory organs, leading to eye inflammation and infection that causes chronic discomfort. The behavioral frustration of strong bathing motivation that cannot be satisfied is measurable through preference tests — ducks choose water for bathing over food when both are presented simultaneously. Providing appropriate water access is among the most impactful and cost-effective welfare improvements available to duck producers.