Welfare benefits and challenges of outdoor access systems for farmed ducks, examining water access needs, breed considerations, and the evidence for improved welfare in non-confinement duck production.
Duck welfare is fundamentally shaped by water access — these are aquatic birds whose anatomy, behavior, and physiology are adapted for life on and near water. Confining ducks in dry indoor systems without bathing water causes measurable chronic welfare deprivation. They cannot clean their eyes and nares properly, cannot engage in natural preening and bathing sequences, and cannot express the social bathing behaviors that are intrinsic to their species. The evidence for water provision as a welfare necessity is among the clearest in farmed animal welfare science. Transitioning duck production toward systems providing meaningful water access — even if not full pond access — represents one of the highest-priority welfare improvements available in current poultry farming.