In another, little yellow ducklings were forced to drink from tiny metal nipples there was no water for them even to immerse their heads. The place stank of manure from the flooring inside the sheds and the mounds discarded outside. One little duckling sat forlornly staring out into the street from behind a mesh fence, wet manure on his face and body. In the right conditions, he like all ducks would keep himself pristinely clean. But in these places, the filth builds up and they have no way to remove it.
Ducks eat by dabbling straining plankton and other morsels from the water through their bills.
Their bills are as sensitive as human fingertips yet some duck farmers slice through them, shortening the end by burning or cutting without painkillers. The purpose is to control aggression and feather pulling behavior caused entirely by the unnatural environment. This mutilation can lead to constant pain and can make eating difficult. Although white in color, most farmed ducks are descended from Mallards the brown ducks and green-headed drakes seen on lakes and ponds in our parks. Like them, farmed ducks would love to fly at 50mph, to choose a mate and to live for 15 years or more.