What is down?

Down is the soft layer of feathers closest to a bird’s skin, used to trap air and keep birds warm. Baby birds are covered entirely in down and adults, especially waterfowl, may use their own down feathers to keep their eggs warm.

Down is often stolen in order to produce clothing and comforters, but for geese, the down industry’s methods are anything but comfortable. 

Live plucking

Undercover video footage shows employees on goose farms pulling fistfuls of feathers out of live birds, often causing bloody wounds as the animals shriek in terror. The frightened animals are often squeezed upside down between workers’ knees during the painful procedure—in one instance, an investigator photographed a worker who was sitting on a goose’s neck in order to prevent her from escaping.

Live plucking causes birds considerable pain and distress. Once their feathers are ripped out, many of the birds, paralyzed with fear, are left with gaping wounds—some even die as a result of the procedure. Workers often sew the birds’ skin back together without using any anesthetics.

Buying down supports foie gras

Buying down can also support the cruelty of the foie gras and meat industries because many farmers who raise birds for food make an extra profit by selling their feathers as well. At the slaughterhouse, many of these birds are improperly stunned, which means that they are still conscious when their throats are cut and they are dumped into the scalding-hot water of the defeathering tank.