Commercial duck farming in intensive systems fails to meet the water access and welfare needs of these highly water-adapted birds; higher welfare systems are available and growing.
Commercial duck welfare represents a clear case where a fundamental, species-specific behavioural need is routinely denied for economic convenience. Ducks are waterfowl — their entire anatomy, including specialised bill structures, eye design, and waterproof feathering, is adapted for a semi-aquatic life. Denying access to water for bathing and swimming is not a minor compromise but a fundamental welfare failure. The suffering caused by this deprivation is observable — dirty feathers, eye discharge, and frustration behaviours are all documented in water-deprived ducks. Higher welfare duck systems that provide open water access demonstrate that this need can be met commercially. Consumer demand for higher welfare duck products can drive market transformation.