Most consumers do not know that the ducks that they see playing in our ponds and rivers are the latest animals to be turned into factory-farmed machines.  Genetically manipulated to grow very big, very quickly, they are crammed into huge, windowless sheds with no fresh air, no daylight and no water to bathe, swim and play in.  A recent undercover investigation revealed unthinkable conditions of misery and suffering.  Thousands of ducks are crammed into half-mile long sheds living on their own accumulated waste.  Their sensitive bills are burned or cut off without painkillers in order to control aggression and feather pulling – behavior caused entirely by the unnatural environment in which they are forced to live.  This mutilation can lead to constant pain and can make eating difficult.  Many ducks had tears in their feet from the wire mesh flooring.  A common sight was ducks who had collapsed and were unable to get up.  These probably starved to death eventually as evidenced by the numerous corpses lying around the shed.  Sadly, death at slaughter is often no more humane.  About a million birds every year are conscious when their throats are cut.  U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics show that thousands are still alive when they are submerged in scalding water to be de-feathered.  Believe it or not, all of this is legal.  Ducks, like other food animals, are considered agriculture produce and are excluded from the Animal Welfare Act.

     Most farmed ducks are close relatives of mallards, the ducks that are commonly seen on every pond.  Like them, factory farmed ducks have evolved to eat, swim, dive, clean and play in water. Water is the basis of their life.  In today’s factory farms, they never see water, except in nipple drinkers – literally a pipe with holes that dribbles water.  Like their wild cousins, they would love to fly at 50 mph, choose and mate and live for 15 years or more.  Unfortunately, some can barely walk because of leg deformities.  There’s no mating and life ends viciously after seven weeks.

     A major letter-writing campaign is underway urging stores not to carry duck meat.  Please send a polite e-mail or letter, or call the following stores and tell them about your objections to the way ducks are raised:

E-mail
Lee Scott,
President of Wal-Mart

Print out a letter to send to Lee Scott.

Call Wal-mart at 800-925-6278

     You can send complaints to the following supermarkets through Planetfeedback

E-mail a complaint to
Trader Joe’s

Print out a letter to send to John Shields,
CEO of Trader Joe’s.

Call Trader Joe’s at 626-442-1177

E-mail a complaint to
Safeway

Print out a letter to send to Steven Burd,
President/CEO of Safeway.

Call Safeway at 800-SAFEWAY or 925-467-3000

 E-mail a complaint to
Albertsons

 Print out a letter to send to Gary Michael,
CEO of Albertsons.

Call Albertsons at 208-395-5735.

 E-mail a complaint to
Kroger

Print out a letter to send to Dave Dillon,
President of Kroger.

Call Kroger’s at 800-632-6900