Welfare of Farmed Ducks During Forced Molting

Forced molting procedures used to extend laying hen and duck flock productivity cause severe welfare harm through feed restriction and physiological stress.

Key Facts

Feed withdrawal to induce molt can last 5-14 days in ducks and laying hens
Mortality rates increase significantly during feed-withdrawal molting compared to non-molted flocks
Birds subject to feed withdrawal show behavioral desperation including stereotypic pecking and aggression
Dietary molting methods using low-nutrient feeds reduce welfare impacts compared to full feed withdrawal
The EU banned feed-withdrawal molting in laying hens; similar protections do not consistently extend to ducks

Welfare Considerations

Forced molting by feed withdrawal is one of the more deliberately cruel practices in commercial poultry production. Birds are starved for days to shock their reproductive systems into a new laying cycle — a procedure that causes hunger stress, immune suppression, and increased mortality. That effective alternatives exist makes continued feed-withdrawal molting harder to justify. Extending legal protection against feed-withdrawal molting to all poultry species, including ducks, is an achievable welfare improvement.

What You Can Do

Choose eggs and duck products from producers that prohibit feed-withdrawal molting
Advocate for legislative extension of feed-withdrawal molting bans to all poultry species
Support certification schemes that prohibit forced molting in their standards
Raise the issue of forced molting welfare with food companies and retailers