![]() Birds may be live plucked multiple times before slaughter. The most recent case of live plucking occurred in 2016 where several farms in China were exposed by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA US, 2016). Still, cases of live plucking have been reported in China, Hungary and Poland. Live plucking is condemned by the China Feather and Down Industrial Association, the European Down and Feather Association, as well as all other down and feather organisations. This procedure is a major welfare concern as live plucking results in bleeding and tearing of skin, causing pain, discomfort and stress to the birds (Gentle and Hunter, 1991). ![]() ‘Live plucking’ occurs outside the moulting season and refers to manually pulling feathers that are still attached to the bird. This means that some birds that are not moulting at the time of ‘harvesting’ may be subject to ‘live-plucking’. It is also important to consider that, while the moulting season is influenced by the age, breed and genetics of the bird, moulting times can vary within a flock. Poor handling at this stage is likely to result in increased fear, stress and injury (EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare, 2010). ‘Harvesting’, also called ‘gathering’, is the removal of loose feathers by hand from a live duck/goose during moulting, which is the period when these birds naturally lose their feathers. They are mainly collected after slaughter (about 98%), however, it has been estimated that about 1 to 2% is still collected by ‘harvesting’ at the time of moulting or by ‘live plucking’ (Kozak, Gara and Kawada, 2010). ![]() How is down collected?ĭown and feathers are removed from the chest, lower belly, flanks and the areas not covered by the wings. In 2008, the value of the world trade of down and feathers was USD $1.88 billion, and the global market is expected to reach a value of USD $8.24 billion by 2026 (Transparency Market Research, 2018). The largest producer of down is China, accounting for 80% of global production, followed by Taiwan, Thailand, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Siberia, France, U.S. Down is in high demand worldwide by textile markets as it is a good thermal insulator, which makes it highly valuable for the manufacturing of outdoor clothing, pillows, sleeping bags, doonas and quilts (Kozak, Gara and Kawada, 2010). However, down and feathers can also be an important source of income and are considered a by-product of these industries (Pingel, 2009). Ducks and geese are mainly farmed for the purpose of meat, liver and egg production. Down refers to the soft layer of feathers that is closest to a duck or goose’s skin, and is primarily located in the chest and belly regions. ![]()
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