Is Goose Down humane?

cave_2

tbs624 wrote: »

Yep, someone impartial like a Hungarian poultry farmer,or a duvet or down jacket manufacturer.;)

I'd agree with you that some of PETAs campaigns are little off the wall, but that doesn't negate the validity of everything else that they highlight: the references they use for that article are listed for you to check out. Unfortunately, the live plucking of down from geese in some countries is also well documented elsewhere.

You can even find outdoor clothing manufacturers sites that wax lyrical about the alleged "superiority" of down collected in this way, and it's clear that they have no animal rights agenda.

Be interested to know who *you'd* recommend as an impartial source though?

There are some "eco-duvets" with fillings made from recycled plastic bottles, for those who don't fancy down & feather duvets.

As for the down jackets, I would say that they aren't impartial if they are selling them, in the same way that the M&S soft !!!!!! voice over lady would say "this is not just toilet roll, this is triple ply, extra durable, extra smoothing toilet roll" if it were made out of triple ply sandpaper...

My problem with Peta, is although I fully support most of their causes, is that if they were anthropomorphised, they would be a 14yo girl, screaming that no-one understands her, and that everybody else should listen to her because animals are, (whiny american accent) Ya know, cute and stuff, and people are, like, whatever.

I would try and find studies which are trying to find the answer some way or another (or try and find if the original studies on goose heart rate exist, how it was conducted, and whether it was comissioned by Peta).

I know i'm being a bit pedantic, but I'm trained to question every source and motive :rolleyes:

C x

cave_2

Blackpool_Saver wrote: »

i wouldn't enetertain it, full of minute crawlies that cause allergies, very old fashioned idea...........

Actually, it might prevent allergies... there's a school of thought that we have so much asthma and eczema now because we live in such clean environments, and we're not exposed to so much dirt. It's been shown that middle class children have a higher incidence of both, than children who are allowed to run around and get mucky.

It's the same idea as chicken pox; if you get it when you're a child, you feel a bit ill for a while, whereas if you get it as an adult, it's so much worse and it really floors you.

C

Cardew

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 !

Won't that synthetic material taint the foie gras?

tbs624

cave wrote: »

As for the down jackets, I would say that they aren't impartial if they are selling them, in the same way that the M&S soft !!!!!! voice over lady would say "this is not just toilet roll, this is triple ply, extra durable, extra smoothing toilet roll" if it were made out of triple ply sandpaper...

:rolleyes: Thanks for responding Cave, although you seem to have missed the on the end of the sentence in my previous post. The point was *not* that the manufacturers of down clothing/bedding etc are impartial, but that it's unlikely that you'll find truly impartial sources. The fact that both sides , ie the welfare crowd, and the "we make money from down" crowd admit that live plucking takes place, means that there's little room for discounting the fact that the practice exists.

cave wrote: »

I would try and find studies which are trying to find the answer some way or another (or try and find if the original studies on goose heart rate exist, how it was conducted, and whether it was comissioned by Peta).

I know i'm being a bit pedantic, but I'm trained to question every source and motive :rolleyes:

Are you a fairly recent graduate? The OP's questions were:

jollyme wrote: »

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?

S/he wants to buy a duvet, not write a dissertation or present a thesis. The practice of live plucking *does* occur in some countries - presumably you are not doubting this bit, but you are doubting that there might be cruelty/pain/distress involved? If that's the case, then it's perhaps worth bearing in mind that it's probably not necessary to trawl the scientific journals and/or to use first degree, Masters or PhD-acquired "skills" to deduce that (1) live-plucking is likely to be a grim experience for the geese and (2) if bird/animal welfare does concern some consumers then the only way to remove any doubt is to not buy those products.

cave_2

I didn't miss it, I'm just endlessly amused by the M&S campaign.

As for 'studies', I was thinking more along the lines of those freely available, sometimes on welfare sites etc. I know it's very hard to find impartial information on anything, but there are other sources - e.g. other welfare sites - which are less prone to the hysteria of Peta, and more likely to provide the information, not inform on their opinion.

And I was countering the original Peta post, not trying to provide an answer to the OP.

I'll stop digging now. :rotfl:

competitionscafe

"Not only is hand-harvested goose down frowned upon, it is actually banned in most countries around the world. "
http://www.down-feather-bedding.com/healthyliving/2006/11/whats-deal-with-hand-harvested-goose.html

"Not all birds need to die to keep you warm though. Some Hungarian geese are plucked while still alive, while the platinum premier down comes from the living eider duck. This cliff-dwelling bird is a protected species and so the down must be collected by hand from its empty nests. Personally I'm not sure who I'd rather not be - a Hungarian goose or an eiderdown collector?"
http://www.psychovertical.com/?downfacts

vegankris

They either have to die or are plucked alive, so there's no such thing as cruelty-free goose down.

If you're looking for something more eco-friendly than synthetics, how about organic cotton, like this- http://www.naturalcollection.com/natural-products/Natural-Duvets.aspx

mutley_muppet

Blimey i never knew some live geese had their feathers pulled out, how awful!

I have an old sofa with feathers in the cushions (that I was given 2nd hand) but I would never buy anything with down in it. I also avoid leather too.

I would love one of those organic cotton duvets but they are a bit pricey!!:eek:

I have 100% cotton sheets & blankets on top as i find it easier to wash than a duvet.

MM x

mem_2

First post on MSE and I'm starting as I mean to go on. Sorry...

I'm firmly of the opinion that synthetic filling is the only way to go with duvets. Makes them fully machine washable, which is fairly important if you're a clean freak like I am. They tend to be cheaper, too, and perfectly warm and cozy!

Furthermore, I don't think there's any such thing as cruelty-free down production. Free range doesn't really mean anything, unfortunately, and (as has already been pointed out) the options are death or live plucking - neither of which are particularly enticing prospects.

To clarify - my point of view stems from my vegan lifestyle and strong interest in animal welfare. My own duvet is stuffed with mungbeans and self righteousness.