Ducks have a profound biological need for open water access to maintain feather condition through bathing and preening - denial of this basic need causes significant welfare compromise.
For a duck, the inability to bathe properly is not a minor inconvenience but a fundamental deprivation. Waterfowl have evolved specialized feather structure and oil gland function that requires immersion to maintain properly. Preening and bathing are highly motivated behaviors - ducks will prioritize water access when given the choice. Commercial duck farming that denies all open water access keeps animals in a state of chronic frustration and progressive physical deterioration. Their feathers lose condition, their eyes discharge, and behavioral evidence of their frustrated motivation is clear. Welfare reforms requiring at minimum a drinker deep enough to submerge the head represent progress but full bathing access remains the gold standard.