Animal Lib Wins Voiceless Award to Expose Duck Industry

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This year (2011) Animal Liberation, together with the Public Interest Law Clearing House (PILCH) received a Voiceless grant for $13, 000 for our project titled, 'Like a Duck Out of Water: An expose of the Australian duck industry and the deprivation of water for intensively farmed ducks raised for meat.'

The Australian $100 million duck farming industry has been growing over the past 30 years with two main suppliers. Eight million ducks are killed annually with companies reporting weekly kill rates of up to 70,000 ducks.

The duck farming industry has very similar husbandry practices to the chicken farming industry. Ducks are generally reared intensively inside sheds with very little light and very little room.

One of the most concerning welfare issues for intensively farmed ducks is water deprivation. In Australia, there is no legal requirement for commercial duck farms to have water available for ducks to swim, bath, or even dip their heads. Water deprivation is an issue that exists in all Australian duck farms including intensive and free range.

Animal Liberation, together with PILCH, will develop and produce an extensive report on the duck industry in Australia. The project aims to raise public awareness about the welfare issues faced by intensively farmed ducks. We believe these issues are relatively unknown to the Australian public.

As this project unfolds next year we will undoubtedly require assistance from our wonderful activists.

If you are interested in becoming involved in this campaign please email Emma at emma@animal-lib.org.au