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Is Goose Down humane?

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Does anyone know how goose down for duvets is harvested? Are the geese live plucked or killed or what? I have searched and haven't been able to find out. OH is wanting to buy a new posh duvet and I'm worried that cruelty to the geese might be involved. Can anyone shed any light on this?
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  • I watched Kill it, Cook it, Eat it last night and they said after they kill the bird they pluck it and send it off for making duvets and things so it seems like a by product.

    You can get free range duvets if you're really concerned about the welfare, I think John Lewis still sell them.
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  • moonrakerz
    moonrakerz Posts: 8,650 Forumite
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    I read somewhere that at one compassionate place they don't kill the geese, they pluck them, then fit them with hollow fibre polyester overcoats !
  • Lotus-eater
    Lotus-eater Posts: 10,789 Forumite
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    moonrakerz wrote: »
    I read somewhere that at one compassionate place they don't kill the geese, they pluck them, then fit them with hollow fibre polyester overcoats !
    Doesn't sound very compassionate to me!
    I wouldn't fancy being plucked alive!
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  • N9eav
    N9eav Posts: 4,742 Forumite
    Lets face it folks. The goose gets the chop and made ready for the oven. The feathers end up on the bed. The best way to use all of the goose. less waste and enviromentally freindly as we are not using oil to make the polyester filling.

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  • mhlldt
    mhlldt Posts: 12 Forumite
    The geese are definitely killed before they are plucked. Geese are raised for the table. They are killed to be eaten and then their feathers are removed. It is good that the feathers are used - they make a more environment friendly filling than polywhatsit - and they are not wasted ...
  • I believe they are killed before being plucked. BUT, lots of people are allergic to the feathers, including my two boys, aged 5 and 7
    Jules
  • jollyme
    jollyme Posts: 343 Forumite
    Searching on the web seems to indicate that some geese are repeatedly live plucked - surely this can't be right!! I mean down as a bi product of meat production is one thing , but live pluckig, well that's something else!!
  • The fox that ripped one of my turkeys to pieces in my yard this morning didn't care whether he was being humane. Nature is red in tooth and claw.

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  • afaik they are killed first. Guess you'd want one that is machine washable rather than dry clean though.
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