Down With The Truth

The other day, I was listening to my favorite podcast, hosted by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. The topic of this particular episode was about down and feathers -- as in your down coat, your down comforter, pillows, feather boa, even your seemingly innocuous feather duster. It's an area of animal exploitation that is rarely discussed, and after this podcast, I understood why.

Let's first be clear about what animals we're talking about when we discuss down and feathers. Both come from ducks and geese. Feathers or "vaned feathers" cover the exterior of the bird and "down" refers to the softer feathers that grow underneath the exterior feathers. Over 70% of down/feathers used in the US come from China. The second largest exporter is Hungary. Now, I know most of us have this idea that feathers naturally fall off the birds and farmers benignly collect them and that's how your fabulous comforter is born. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Think about it, if you're taking feathers off a bird, there are two ways to do it: you can rip them off while the bird is still alive, or you can rip them off after the bird is dead. The feather industry considers feathers from live birds better quality, hence they're more valuable. So geese and ducks get "live-plucked" 3 to 4 times a year. This happens from the time they are 10 weeks until they're 4 years old. Then they're sent to slaughter for their flesh. Ducks and geese in the wild have a lifespan of 12-15 years.

The "ripping" (as the industry calls it) of feathers causes the animals immense pain and stress. A website called AgroWeb Hungary points out that "plucking should be done in relaxing conditions, because the stress and fear in the animals could make the plucking of the feathers more difficult." You think? And "relaxing conditions"... as if getting your feathers ripped out is just like a day at the spa. To make matters worse, many of the geese used for their down/feathers in Hungary are also used to make foie gras. Yeah, you heard me, foie torture gras. The production of which has been deemed so cruel that California will become the first state to outlaw its sale and "manufacture" effective 2012.

This year, a Swedish investigative television series went undercover inside a geese farm in Hungary. Their footage revealed screaming birds bound so they could not bite or scratch, birds who'd suffered big sores from the brutal handling who were just sown back together with needle and thread without any anesthetic, birds laying on the ground after plucking who were completely numb from terror and pain. Upon watching the undercover video, Swedish vet Dr. Johan Beck Friis, said: "geese feel pain just like all other animals/people, and this is nothing less than qualified torture." It takes the feathers of 75 geese to make just one down comforter.

In addition to ducks and geese, ostriches are also bred for their feathers. Remember that feather duster I mentioned? Yeah, that would be ostrich. Ostriches are also "live-plucked" and slaughtered for their flesh. In the wild, ostriches have a 75-year lifespan, but on farms they're killed at 12-14 months old. If you've ever seen or worn ostrich leather, you've noticed the round markings in the skin. That comes from the scarring that occurs from feathers being ripped out while the animal was still alive. Isn't that glamorous?

So the next time you buy a new comforter or a warm jacket or a sleeping bag or some throw pillows, think first. There's a plethora of amazing alternatives to down. In fact, so many people are actually allergic to feathers that manufacturers now have a huge selection of down-like products that are labeled hypoallergenic. They're easy to find and many are made from sustainable materials like kapok and bamboo. Additionally, companies like Patagonia now make toasty winter jackets from recycled plastic. Let's stay warm this winter without supporting needless cruelty.

 

 

Follow Ari Solomon on Twitter: www.twitter.com/VeganAri

Comments

[DOWNLITE]

While I appreciate the goal of the author - I think it casts a net on the down industry that is simply not correct. Most down and feathers come from China and Eastern Europe. The down and feathers are a by-product of the poultry industry. The farmers in most cases sell their birds for domestic consumption by the population (usuaully a special event - much like turkey @ thanksgiving in the US).

I speak from experience that my company - DOWNLITE - only buys down and feathers that result from poultry consumption. The reason down is used and sought after so much is becasue it is natures best insulator. We then process all of our down in the US to hypoallergenic standards.

Contrary to popular belief down is actually very allergy friendly (due to the higher thread count), easy care (you can machine wash and dry most comforters, pillows, etc) and best of all helps give an energy effieicent solution to homeowners. You can lower your thermostat 10 degrees and save quite a bit on your heating bills.

[anessel]

Ari, thanks for 411. I wan't exactly sure how poorly these creatures were treated, but I had a suspicion it was consistent with standard factory farming practices (which inhibit their every natural desire). One day, because of people such as yourself, most of humanity will align their ethics and their actions by not supporting such cruelty. Keep sharing this truth and opening people's hearts and minds.

[Veganessa]

I was vegan for years before I knew what down really was. I didn't have access to the information and didn't really know to seek it out. If only I had Ari guiding me then.
I can only imagine how many lucky people are being educated by these posts. Way to go Ari!

[susanweingartner]

Thank you for this heartbreaking, brilliant article. I haven't worn down in years, and I'm so very grateful to you for reminding me why.

[RyanMoore]

Excellent! There's no reason to torture and kill animals.

[Venice360]

Great post. Thanks for bringing up a great point that needs exposure. Keep them coming.

[greenwriter]

Is there no cruelty human greed won't inflict on the poor animals? As famed painter Sue Coe noted: "If the animals invented religion, the Devil would look like a human being."

[Roryfreedman]

Another informative, important piece from Ari Solomon.

In this day and age, when there are excellent cruelty-free alternatives, there are but two reasons to purchase real down: ignorance and/or selfishness.

Neither does an ounce of good for these poor, tortured birds.

Thank you, Ari, for continuing to enlighten the masses.

[MaybeBaby]

Wonderful article! Thank you.

Until recently, I was ignorant to the truth behind feathers. I imagined it exactly as you said - that feathers are just innocently swept up by farmers, who magically find them in the fields... How ludicrous! I am happy to now know the truth about feathers so I can make an informed choice to not purchase them.

[Danielle Kichler]

Thanks, Ari. Excellent article.

All animal products are exploitation. All of them.

[Andrew Stepanian]

Another brilliant article by a writer I hope we can see a lot more of on Huffington. I think it was Gandhi who said, "that the greatness of a nation could be judged by the way it treats it's animals." Perhaps we all could learn a great deal from that quote, meat eaters and vegans alike. Something as simple as embracing, or at least respecting, the life of a commonly ignored creature can help us to broaden our circle of compassion & help us to treat everyone better - neighbors, friends, political opponents, etc.

Thanks Ari, I learned a lot, please keep the articles coming.

[JaseatYale]

Great post, Ari! People need to open their eyes to the truth. Meanwhile, many of the down alternatives are machine-washable. Can't beat that! ;-)

[Suasoria]

I can't think of a single use for feathers that isn't (a) better served by a synthetic innovation; or (b) just effing creepy.