Ducks have strong behavioral needs for water access that are chronically frustrated in intensive production systems, raising fundamental welfare questions about appropriate duck farming.
Duck farming welfare represents one of the clearest mismatches between commercial production systems and species-specific behavioral needs. Ducks are fundamentally aquatic animals whose behavioral repertoire centers on water - bathing, foraging, thermoregulation, and preening all require water access beyond a drinking nipple. Yet the majority of commercial duck production globally denies this fundamental need. The welfare evidence is unambiguous: ducks given water access show better feather condition, fewer health problems, and spend substantial time engaging in natural water-related behaviors when given the choice. Consumer purchasing decisions are among the most powerful levers for driving welfare improvement in duck farming.