Outdoor-reared ducks and geese have access to pasture and often water, yet welfare challenges including predation risk, weather stress, and management during growth create important welfare considerations.
Outdoor-reared waterfowl welfare is significantly better in many respects than conventional indoor production, but outdoor systems create their own welfare challenges requiring active management. Predator protection, weather shelter, water access provision, and appropriate catching technique are all welfare responsibilities that come with free-range production. Getting outdoor systems right requires more than simply opening a door - it requires active investment in the infrastructure and husbandry that make outdoor access genuinely beneficial.