Farming

Approximately 18 million ducks, which are primarily a Pekin cross breed, are reared for meat in the UK every year.

Typically, several thousand birds are raised together within a building. Straw is usually provided to cover the floor.

Ducks are given specially formulated diets and are provided with access to water for drinking. However, farmed ducks may not be given access to an open water source for bathing.

Some ducks, particularly Barbary ducks, may have the ends of their bills trimmed to try to reduce the risk of any damage to other birds caused by pecking. However, the most commonly used breed of meat duck in the UK - the pekin - is not beak trimmed.

Some breeds of ducks may try to fly away if given access to the outdoors, so some ducks kept in free-range systems may have the flight feathers on one of their wings clipped to prevent this. However, this is not common practice.

Once birds reach the desired weight for slaughter of around 3 to 4 kilogrammes, usually at around 49 days of age, they are caught, placed in transport crates and transported to an abattoir for slaughter.

We’re working hard to try to improve the conditions in which all farmed ducks are reared, transported and slaughtered.