The Cruelty Behind Feathers

Feather production is an industry that many don’t realise the amount of cruelty within. This pretty plumage is definitely off the vegan’s list.

In previous posts, I’ve talked about leather and wool. Today I’m looking at how we get feathers and the abuse the birds have to endure. So, while feathers may be exotic in fashion, the truth is that their production involves severe cruelty and suffering to innocent animals.

When we think of feathers, we can forget that down also comes under this heading. Down is the soft layer beneath the protective feathers and is used to insulate the bird. We use down feathers because of their warmth, so you’ll find them in jackets, pillows and duvets, along with other items.

Birds can be raised on specific farms for their feathers and down, but can also come as a by-product of the ducks and geese bred for meat and foie gras.

Birds naturally moult, so the feathers are usually plucked out around every 6–7 weeks during this moulting cycle. However, many of the feathers are not ready to come out, so the birds are put under a lot of pain and duress, plus the birds don’t all moult at the same time. Geese are generally not fed the day before to avoid their droppings contaminating the feathers.