Ducks are water-loving birds with strong behavioral drives to swim, forage, and preen in water, yet most commercial duck farming denies them any water access beyond drinkers. This fundamental deprivation creates significant welfare deficits.
The denial of open water access to farmed ducks represents one of the clearest cases of deprivation of a species-specific behavioral need. The strength of ducks' motivation to access open water has been quantified using preference testing - ducks work harder to access open water than chickens work to access dust-bathing areas, suggesting a comparably strong motivation. Without water immersion, ducks cannot clean their eyes, nares, and plumage - leading to chronic eye irritation, nasal blockage, and deteriorating feather condition. On farms without open water access, ducks show high rates of eye disease that would require veterinary treatment in any individual pet. The widespread practice represents systematic welfare failure driven by the cost and management complexity of providing water access.