Are Products Made With Feathers Inhumane?

Question

Products like feather dusters, craft feathers, and down pillows are made with bird feathers, right? Well, do they kill the birds to get the feathers or do they just collect the feathers when the birds loose them, like moulting or something? I really hate the thought of animal being killed for any human purpose. I don't think I've bought anything with feathers, but I was just wondering for future reference.

Answer 1

hmm. i've wondered this myself.

so, i'm gonna look it up..

oh man..

'' Down can be collected in a variety of ways. Birds which provide the feathers may be used for other purposes, for example to provide meat. Some birds are killed solely for their down, while some birds (particularly some geese) are periodically live-plucked of their breast feathers. Some birds, such as the eider duck, line their nests with down, and such down might be harvested safely after the young leave the nest.

Animal welfare groups consider the collection of down to be a painful procedure and cruel, particularly since birds must undergo down collection repeatedly. ''

To the below person, im not trying to prove they do it, and am not 100% sure whats above is correct, but, if it was after a slaughter, wouldn't blood get on the feathers?

Answer 2

No, the birds would be killed for food and the feathers are then taken to be used.  Can you imagine having the job of finding feathers on the ground?  It really wouldn't be worth the effort!

Just read the above one, no way would anyone pluck a live duck?  That would be stupid, they'd scratch you and poo all over you, it wouldn't be worth the time.  Much easier to do it while its dead, and more efficient to make meat too.  Bear in mind that its business - people don't ever do things just to be cruel to the animals, they do it for the maximum product.

Answer 3

As a large breed bird owner I can tell you yes I have sold a number of tail feathers from turkeys and peacocks that have naturally fallen out to a local crafter and calligrapher.

I also have to admit that I am also aware of a turkey processing plant that has had a feather collecting company come in and harvest the feathers for pillows.  The meat industry is watched very closely and the birds are culled in the most humane way possible.

Answer 4

i dont think so ive went on a lot of websites and saw many pics. of cages of birds owned by experts and a lot of them actually had toys with feathers