Farmed ducks drink from troughs but cannot immerse themselves in water

Most of the ducks reared for meat in Britain have no access to water in which to wash, splash and swim, the RSPCA has said.

Despite frequent government claims that Britain has some of the highest welfare standards in the world, the RSPCA said that there was no legal requirement for ducks to have water, other than to drink. Almost 14 million ducks are reared in Britain each year, making them the third most populous animal after the 23 million sheep and 103 million chickens.

It is a basic tenet of animal welfare, enshrined in the Animal Welfare Act 2006, that animals on farms should live in a “suitable environment” where they can “exhibit normal behaviour patterns”.

Government guidelines encourage farmers to consider troughs for