Farmed ducks have strong behavioral needs for water access, yet most intensive systems deny them bathing opportunities, causing significant and preventable welfare deficits.
Duck welfare is among the most poorly served areas of farm animal protection. The gap between the behavioral needs of these aquatic birds and what intensive production systems provide is enormous. Ducks without bathing water cannot maintain clean plumage, develop eye and respiratory problems, and are chronically frustrated in one of their most strongly motivated behaviors. The scientific evidence that ducks place high value on water access, demonstrated through operant choice studies, is compelling yet rarely translated into regulatory requirements. The scale of duck farming, combined with the severity of welfare deficits in most intensive systems, makes duck welfare a high-priority area for welfare advocacy and policy reform.