Farmed Duck Welfare Standards | Animal Welfare Hub

Ducks are semi-aquatic birds whose water-related behavioral needs are rarely met in commercial production, causing widespread welfare deficits.

Key Facts

Around 3 billion ducks are farmed globally each year, mostly in China
Ducks are strongly motivated to immerse their heads and bodies in water
Most commercial duck production provides no open water beyond drinking nipples
Foie gras production involves force-feeding ducks to produce fatty liver disease — banned in some countries
Some welfare-conscious duck farms provide ponds or water troughs meeting immersion needs

Welfare Considerations

Duck welfare in commercial production centers on the denial of water access. Ducks are physiologically and behaviorally adapted to aquatic environments — they preen with water, maintain eye and nostril health by head-dipping, and experience positive emotional states during water bathing. Provision of even small open-water troughs dramatically reduces welfare indicators of frustration and distress. Yet most commercial duck farming worldwide provides no such access. The science on this is clear and the welfare intervention is low-cost. Foie gras represents an additional extreme welfare concern through force-feeding, which causes physical pain and serious liver disease.

What You Can Do

Choose duck products only from farms with certified open-water provision
Avoid foie gras as a product of force-feeding and severe liver disease
Support welfare certification programs that require open water for ducks
Advocate for minimum standards requiring water immersion access in duck farming
Reduce or eliminate duck consumption if welfare-certified options are unavailable