The organisation Compassion in World Farming has applauded Waitrose for ensuring that all the free range ducks which they sell will have had access to outdoor ponds in which they can swim. The supermarket says it is in the last stages of development of a plan to ensure all their suppliers are providing full access to water in the next year.
This is good news for the Waitrose free range ducks, since swimming and other behaviours associated with water are very important to these birds. The vast majority of farmed ducks (even free range) never experience water other than to drink and therefore suffer from being unable to perform their natural behaviours such as swimming, paddling and preening.
I strongly believe in trying to source food from local farms and producers so that I know how the animals have been kept. This also supports our local farms and helps to keep the local community alive. As a general rule I try not to buy food from Supermarkets and prefer to support small, local, organic producers of food. However this is not always possible so it is great that Waitrose is improving its animal welfare policies. Let us hope that where Waitrose leads the other supermarkets will quickly follow.
For more information go toCompassion in World Farming
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