Why farmed ducks endure worse conditions than battery hens
To stay healthy, they require access to ponds and space to roam. But many thousands of birds farmed in Britain for their meat endure appalling conditions. Sanjida O'Connell investigates
Published: 06 July 2006
The favourite time of the week for our ducks is Saturday morning, when we clean out their pool. They quack maniacally, then jump into the clean water, preening and dipping under.
Jem and Cherry are working birds - they're supposed to eat slugs in the vegetable garden but, unlike chickens, leave the veg alone. But even when allegedly working, they will sit on water for hours - even in a washing-up bowl on the lawn. Their enjoyment of water, and the fact that ducks are aquatic, makes it all the more surprising that most of the 18 million ducks reared for meat in this country have no access to water for bathing.
Article Length: 1122 words (approx.)
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