Duck Farming Welfare: Water Access and Housing Requirements

Ducks have strong motivations to access water for bathing and foraging and many intensive systems deny these fundamental needs.

Key Facts

Around 20 million ducks are farmed in the UK each year primarily for meat
Ducks without access to bathing water show increased stress behaviours and eye problems
Pekin ducks farmed for meat reach slaughter weight in 35 days like modern broiler chickens
Foie gras production force-feeds ducks and geese to enlarge their livers and is banned in the UK but not imports
Eye infections and head lesions are common in ducks without water access for immersion

Welfare Considerations

Ducks have powerful motivations to immerse their heads in water, preen, and splash. Denial of water for bathing causes eye and nostril infections as ducks cannot keep these areas clean. Intensive duck production systems with only drinking nipples cause significant frustration and compromised health. Force-feeding for foie gras production causes severe suffering with documented liver pathology. Highly selective breeding for fast growth in meat ducks causes health problems similar to broiler chickens.

What You Can Do

Choose duck products with RSPCA Assured certification which requires water access for bathing
Support a UK import ban on foie gras from force-feeding production systems
Reduce duck consumption or choose only welfare-assured products
Advocate for legislation requiring water provision for duck immersion in all farming systems
Support research into enriched duck housing that provides water access efficiently