Duck meat production raises distinct welfare challenges from chicken production due to the species strong affinity for water and its rapid growth rates in commercial breeds.
Duck meat production welfare parallels broiler chicken welfare in some dimensions — rapid growth rates, lameness, and poor air quality — but adds the distinctive welfare deficit of water deprivation that is unique to waterfowl. A duck raised for meat without access to bathing water cannot perform the basic behavioral maintenance that its anatomy requires: cleaning its eyes, clearing its nostrils, and maintaining feather condition. This deprivation causes progressive health problems that compound behavioral frustration with physical harm. The Better Duck Commitment framework being developed mirrors the Better Chicken Commitment in requiring slower growth rates and behavioral provisions including water access. Consumer demand and corporate commitments are the primary drivers of improvement in duck welfare, which lacks the regulatory attention that poultry welfare has received in some jurisdictions.