The welfare of ducks in egg production systems depends on meeting their strong behavioral needs for water, space, and social interaction - needs that many commercial systems fail to address.
Ducks evolved as aquatic birds with a deep behavioral need for water that goes far beyond drinking. Bathing and preening in open water are essential for feather maintenance, eye health, and behavioral expression. Commercial egg production systems that deny ducks access to bathing water cause chronic frustration and welfare harm. The science on duck water needs is clear, and welfare-conscious producers provide drinker systems or immersion pools that allow ducks to submerge their heads and bathe.