Ducks

Industrial Animal Agriculture &
Farmed Animals’ Welfare

Ducks are believed to have originally been domesticated in South Asia, probably from a breed of wild mallard. Worldwide, other domesticated ducks are likely to have evolved from South America’s native Muscovy duck. The breed of duck most recognised as a domesticated duck is probably the Pekin duck breed, with its white feathers, very large size relative to the ancestral mallard, and its high rate of egg production.

A pekin duck. Credit: Robert Woeger, Unsplash.

Ducks are very sociable animals, most comfortable when they are with other ducks. In the wild, they spend their days foraging for food on land or in shallow water, and at night they like to sleep in groups.

Ducks are very clean animals, and spend hours at a time preening their feathers. A good supply of water is essential for ducks to bathe and keep their bodies in good condition, and they also need water to digest their food. They also appear to enjoy swimming in water.

Ducks can understand the relationship between objects, which demonstrates abstract thought capabilities.

Domestic ducks can live for up to 10 - 15 years.

A duck in his/her natural habitat - the water.
Credit: Nick Shafer Media, We Animals Media.

Ducks as a food source

Ducks are widely farmed for their meat, eggs and feathers.

According to FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations) statistics, almost 4.3 billion ducks were killed for food in 2021.

It appears that duck farms, especially for layer ducks (i.e. raised for eggs), have not been investigated as much as other types of farms. Therefore, there is limited information available regarding the raising of ducks on CAFOs compared to other animals.

From the information that is available, it appears that ducks, whether being raised for meat or for eggs, are generally kept in similar conditions and receive similar treatment. The same general welfare concerns thus apply to both types of farmed ducks.

Selective breeding of meat ducks

Ducks on industrialised farms have been artificially bred to reach a large size in a short space of time. As a result, they may suffer from joint pain, leg deformities and fractures, as well as pressure on their heart and lungs causing difficulty breathing. A condition called ascites, by which ducks are affected by hypertension, suffocation on internal fluids, or sudden death, is another possible side-effect of selectively breeding ducks to grow unnaturally quickly.

Selective breeding of layer ducks

Ducks have been selectively bred to produce many more eggs than they naturally would. For example, Cherry Valley Farms in the U.K. is the world’s leading producer of Pekin ducks. They have produced a duck variety which can lay up to 275 eggs per year - ten times the amount that a duck has evolved to lay. This unnaturally high output of eggs can cause a painful, fatal disease called egg peritonitis, which involves the ducks ovaries becoming inflamed and the reproductive tracts rupturing.

Housing for ducks

On CAFOs, ducks are typically raised in overcrowded, dark indoor sheds, with thousands of birds in one building. They have no access to open water, which is a basic necessity for ducks to stay healthy and to engage in many of their natural behaviours. The ducks typically spend their whole lives standing on wire floors, which soon accumulate the waste from so many birds, as most duck sheds are not cleaned for the entire time that the ducks are in there.

Ducks in a dry pen at a duck egg farm in Indonesia. Credit: Haig, Act for Farmed Animals / We Animals Media.

Ducklings huddled together in filthy conditions at a duck egg farm in Indonesia. Credit: Haig, Act for Farmed Animals / We Animals Media.

Physical mutilation of ducks

In such overcrowded conditions, ducks often start frantically pecking at their own feathers or those of other ducks due to frustration. To mitigate the effects of this behaviour, ducks may have the sensitive upper part of their beaks removed.

Welfare concerns for ducks

Without access to pools of clean water for bathing, ducks on CAFOs can quickly succumb to a range of debilitating medical conditions. Unable to clean the build-up of excrement from their bodies, ducks in these sheds are frequently affected by ammonia-related conditions such as chemical burns and respiratory infections. Eye infections are also common, due to the dirty conditions and lack of water for bathing. Injuries and abrasions which often get infected are also commonplace, as ducks have delicate feet that are not adapted to walking on rough floors. The most common infection ducks suffer from on commercial farms is a blood disorder called anatipestifer disease, which can cause diarrhoea, tremors, trouble breathing, paralysis, convulsions, and death.

In terms of behaviour, the lack of opportunities to express natural behaviours undoubtedly causes stress, boredom and frustration.

A duck confined to a small cage at a duck egg farm in Indonesia. She is missing feathers and has irritated skin.
Credit: Haig, Act for Farmed Animals, We Animals Media.

A duck with an apparent eye infection, most likely caused by filthy living conditions, at a duck egg farm in Indonesia.
Credit: Haig, Act for Farmed Animals, We Animals Media.

Lifespan of ducks on CAFOs

Ducks raised for meat are usually slaughtered at around 6-8 weeks old.

Layer ducks are typically sent for slaughter at around 18 months old, when their ability to produce eggs declines.

Industrial Animal Agriculture & Farmed Animals’ Welfare