Ducks are farmed in large numbers globally yet receive far less welfare research and regulatory attention than chickens or turkeys.
Duck welfare is one of the most underdeveloped areas of farmed animal welfare. These are waterfowl kept in dry, crowded conditions without access to the water that is fundamental to their behavioral biology. Even a shallow trough deep enough for bill immersion would dramatically improve welfare relative to dry housing, yet this is absent in most commercial systems. The deprivation of water access for ducks is analogous to the deprivation of perches for chickens — a fundamental behavioral need denied for the sake of production convenience. Welfare reform for farmed ducks requires research investment, regulatory attention, and consumer awareness that meaningful welfare for ducks requires water access, not just dry space.