Vegan Forum

WHAT'S WRONG WITH DOWN?The process of live-plucking is wide spread. The terrified birds are lifted by their necks, with their legs tied, and then have all their body feathers ripped out. The struggling geese sustain injuries and after their ordeal are thrown back to join their fellow victims until their turn comes round again. This torture, which has been described as "extremely cruel" by veterinary surgeons and even geese breeders, begins when the geese are only eight weeks old. It is then repeated at eight week intervals for two or three more sessions. The birds are then slaughtered. The main countries using this cruel process are China, Poland and Hungary, where some 60 per cent of down produced is live-plucked. The down market in the UK alone is worth around 2.6 million pounds per year. The "lucky" birds are plucked dead, i.e. they are killed first and then plucked.

Oh my gosh! I have a feather pillow

But my grandmother made it. In Poland. I don't think she would....

Well I don't think they wait for feathers to fall themselves.. even in Poland
It's like pulling hair with roots.. should be quite painful imho.
I too had no alternative for down pillows 10 years ago so I was sleeping without it

So much cruelty... why do they have to kill those birds if they only need their feathers? they should wait for them to fall and pick it one by one...