Ducks have strong motivational needs for water access that go well beyond drinking, and the denial of open water for bathing and swimming in commercial duck farming causes significant welfare harm.
Ducks denied open water access experience chronic frustration of fundamental behavioral motivations. Unlike chickens, ducks are waterfowl whose anatomy, behavior, and physiology evolved in close association with water. The inability to perform bill washing, head dipping, and bathing creates ongoing welfare deficits that manifest as ocular discharge, nasal blockage, and behavioral indicators of frustration. These are not minor inconveniences but reflect denial of species-typical behaviors that ducks are highly motivated to perform. The welfare case for providing at minimum a water trough deep enough for head immersion is strong and is increasingly recognized in welfare regulations. Full swimming access, while ideal, requires significant infrastructure investment — but troughs providing head immersion represent a practical and meaningful welfare improvement achievable in most systems.