Promoting Better Farming Practices, ASPI Holds Laying Duck Welfare Seminar in Yogyakarta

Thursday, September 18, 2025—Across Species Project Indonesia (ASPI), a non-profit initiative focusing on improving the welfare of farmed animals, particularly laying ducks, held a seminar titled “The Future of Laying Duck Farming: Animal Welfare and Market Opportunities” at Grhatama Pustaka Library, Yogyakarta.

The seminar brought together 66 participants, including laying duck farmers from the Yogyakarta Special Region (DIY), academics and students, local veterinary officers, and related organizations. It was held to promote farming practices that prioritize animal welfare, in line with the global cage-free trend and emerging market opportunities for farmers. 

Currently, it is not only laying hens that are kept in battery cage systems, but also laying ducks. This has become a growing animal welfare concern. Although the system is not as dominant as in laying hen farming, an increasing number of laying duck farmers have begun adopting battery cage systems. 

Battery cages are compartmentalized enclosures, often stacked in tiers, that house one to two ducks per section. In this system, laying ducks have a living space no larger than an iPad or a 13-inch laptop. As a result, they are unable to express their natural behaviors—such as nesting, fully preening, fully stretching their wings, or simply walking and moving freely. 

“There are several welfare issues in laying duck farming, ranging from cage systems and limited space to the lack of water access for bathing or swimming, as well as air quality. Many important factors must be considered, as animal welfare cannot be measured solely by sufficient feed and productivity,” said Dhiani Probhosiwi, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of ASPI, in her opening remarks. 

In the first session, titled “The Importance of Water Access for Laying Ducks and the Market Prospects for Duck Eggs”, Ir. Imam Suswoyo, M.Agr.Sc., IPM, from Jenderal Soedirman University, Purwokerto, emphasized that water is a fundamental need for ducks. “It cannot be changed, deceived, or avoided: ducks are waterfowl, whose lives are closely connected to water, both for foraging and other activities such as swimming and reproduction.”

Two other speakers delivered the following presentations: Dr. Ir. Sri Sumarsih, SPt., MP., IPM, from Diponegoro University, presented “Efficient Feed Formulation: Meeting Nutritional Needs for Laying Duck Welfare”, and Prof. Dr. drh. Pudji Astuti, M.P., one of Indonesia’s inspectors for Humane Farm Animal Care/Certified Humane®, presented “Understanding Market Trends and Certification Opportunities in Laying Duck Farming”. The event aimed to enhance participants’ understanding—especially farmers—that eggs from farms with high animal welfare standards have distinct advantages and added value. 

During scoping work conducted in two provinces—Yogyakarta and East Java, particularly Blitar—between February and March 2025, ASPI found preliminary indications that eggs from battery cage systems have thinner shells compared to eggs from cage-free systems (preliminary findings; full report to be published soon). 

Shell thickness is an important parameter for assessing the physical quality of eggs, particularly their resistance to damage during handling, storage, and distribution. A strong shell also protects the egg contents from microbial contamination, directly impacting food safety. Its pores allow for gas and water exchange, but also serve as entry points for bacteria such as Salmonella Enteritidis, Bacillus cereus, and Escherichia coli (Chen et al., 2019).

“To raise public awareness regarding the implementation of animal welfare, especially for laying ducks, continuous and consistent communication and education are needed from various stakeholders—government bodies, organizations, the general public, and particularly the farming community as laying duck producers,” said drh. Agung Ludiro, Head of the Animal Husbandry and Health Division, Agriculture and Food Security Office, Yogyakarta. 

It is hoped that this seminar can serve as a strong starting point for future efforts to improve the welfare of laying ducks. Collaboration among various stakeholders—including farmers, businesses, government, animal protection organizations, and consumers—is essential to achieve better welfare for laying ducks. 

About Across Species Project Indonesia (ASPI) 

Across Species Project Indonesia (ASPI) is an initiative focused on the welfare of farmed animals, particularly laying ducks. ASPI aims to identify challenges in laying duck farming while seeking practical, affordable solutions that are suited to the local context in Indonesia.