All questions with regards to the “welfare” of “fattened” web-footed birds are mainly related to the fattening stage.

Unlike mammals, the web-footed bird’s upper digestive tube has quite a lifted orifice and supple walls. (Unlike omnivores, there is no cartilage in the oesophagus).

Close to the neck, the web-footed bird’s crop is like a storage pouch whose walls are expandable and covered with a substance that ensures mechanical protection. Consequently, ducks and geese can swallow large size food ingredients such as fish or frogs.

One can see from their earliest days (8 days old) how naturally their crop becomes enlarged after their meal.

Consequently, when a professional stockbreeder carefully places an embuc into a fattened duck or goose, it is in no way harmful.

Among web-footed birds, the main location for lipids assimilation is the liver, whereas in the case of mammals it is adipose tissue. Because of this difference, when the web-footed bird’s liver fattens it is not a sign of pathology but rather represents a simple fattening state which does not cause cell degeneration. This phenomenon is therefore entirely reversible for ducks and geese.

A return to normal size can be achieved within two weeks and has been proven by controlled experiments with batches, even after three successive feeding cycles, with or without the fattening phases.

Moreover, this work has demonstrated that the liver’s functioning system, as well as the tissues, are completely preserved.

All testing activities carried out to answer this question have shown that the fattening of a Mulard duck does not create any stress for the animal.

In addition, it has been proven that ducks and geese experience no fear of the livestock breeder, who is in charge of fattening them; this is not necessarily the case for outside visitors.

Sometimes, a duck’s panting is interpreted as a sign of “suffering” by an outside visitor. This phenomenon is actually a natural reflex many animals develop to regulate heat. Birds don’t have any sudoriparous glands and their ability to evacuate extra warm air is limited because of their isolating feathers. As result, they need to open their beak and pant so that they can evacuate the heat from their organism.

Is it true that placing ducks in individual shelters can generate behaviour issues?

Although individual shelters can partially limit the animal’s ability to move about, this step is time-limited and does not seem to cause the animal any discomfort.

Individual shelters enable breeders to protect ducks from each other and facilitate a customised follow-up.

Is there any other way to fatten ducks and geese?

Despite a number of studies and surveys carried out, there are currently no other techniques to fatten ducks and geese that would be functional in all livestock and that would create a foie gras that possesses all the desired organoleptic specificities.

Current research and development may result in new approaches in the future.

It is worth mentioning that genetic selection among the Mulard ducks, combined with technical progress with regard to livestock, has significantly reduced the length of the fattening phase over the past 20 years from 15.6 days in 1987 to 12.8 days in 2005.