Ducks have strong behavioural needs for water immersion and bathing, and farming systems that deny water access cause chronic frustration and welfare compromise measurable through feather condition and behavior.
Duck water welfare is a clear welfare gap in UK and global duck production. The species has evolved behavioral needs for water immersion that cannot be met by nipple drinkers or even trough drinkers that allow only head immersion. Full body bathing is a behavioral priority that ducks will perform whenever water is available and whose deprivation is measurable in feather condition, eye health, and behavioral frustration. Water provision is not a luxury - it is a species-appropriate minimum welfare requirement.