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Which feathers and down are mainly used as filling material of quilts and pillows?

 
European manufacturers use in most cases feathers and down from waterfowl (geese and ducks) to produce the fillings of bedding articles (quilts and pillows).
 
 
European manufacturers use in most cases feathers and down from waterfowl (geese and ducks) to produce the fillings of bedding articles (quilts and pillows).
 
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Which are the characteristic features of feathers and down being used as filing material?

Down and feathers from waterfowl (geese and ducks) are a unique natural resource. They are used as filling material for quilts, pillows and clothing as they offer a combination of qualities such as breathability, humidity transport and thermal insulation together with a low weight. These special features contribute to the homogeneous distribution of feathers and down inside the quilt as well as to the fact that already small amounts of feathers and down are sufficient for the filling of a quilt.
 
Down and feathers from waterfowl (geese and ducks) are a unique natural resource. They are used as filling material for quilts, pillows and clothing as they offer a combination of qualities such as breathability, humidity transport and thermal insulation together with a low weight. These special features contribute to the homogeneous distribution of feathers and down inside the quilt as well as to the fact that already small amounts of feathers and down are sufficient for the filling of a quilt.
 
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Is there an alternative to down and feathers being used as filling material?

 
Down and feathers are a unique natural resource. Since feathers and down offer a combination of naturalness, heat retention with minimal weight, active breathing and moisture transfer they are especially suited as filling material of bedding articles and clothing. As far as we are aware, there is no alternative material available which offers the same properties.
 
Down and feathers are a unique natural resource. Since feathers and down offer a combination of naturalness, heat retention with minimal weight, active breathing and moisture transfer they are especially suited as filling material of bedding articles and clothing. As far as we are aware, there is no alternative material available which offers the same properties. From an environmental point of view it is to the credit of down and feathers that no raw materials have to be used since both of them accrue as by-products of meat production.
 
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Is the quality of grey down better than white down?

The quality of down cannot be determined on the basis of the colour.
 
The quality of down cannot be determined on the basis of the colour.
 
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Is it correct that geese and ducks are always assisted-fed before slaughter in order to produce foie gras?

 
The colour “grey” for filling material in no way signifies that the animal has been bred for the purpose of foie gras production.
 
 
The colour “grey” for filling material in no way signifies that the animal has been bred for the purpose of foie gras production.
 
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Are birds especially bred because of their plumage?

 
Usually, neither ducks nor geese are being bred or kept for the sole purpose of gathering down and feathers. For thousands of years, poultry has been part of human nutrition and has been kept mainly for this purpose. Down and feathers are a natural by-product of the poultrymeat industry or the poultry farming, respectively.
 
 
Usually, neither ducks nor geese are being bred or kept for the sole purpose of gathering down and feathers. For thousands of years, poultry has been part of human nutrition and has been kept mainly for this purpose. Down and feathers are a natural by-product of the poultrymeat industry or the poultry farming, respectively.
 
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How is the filling material produced?

 
Ca. 98% of the amount of waterfowl feathers and down produced world-wide are harvested after the slaughtering of the fowl – as a by-product of the poultrymeat production. The consumers are mainly demanding young and tender poultrymeat. Therefore, the animals are usually slaughtered around the time of their first moulting.
 
 
Ca. 98% of the amount of waterfowl feathers and down produced world-wide are harvested after the slaughtering of the fowl – as a by-product of the poultrymeat production. The consumers are mainly demanding young and tender poultrymeat. Therefore, the animals are usually slaughtered around the time of their first moulting.
 
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Who processes the harvested feathers and down?

 
The bedfeather manufacturers purchase down and feathers as by-products of the slaughtering. These bedfeather-processing companies are grouped together statistically in the industrial sector called “slaughtering of poultry – processing of the animal by-products” and must be provided with a certificate of admission issued by a competent veterinary authority to operate.
 
 
The bedfeather manufacturers purchase down and feathers as by-products of the slaughtering. These bedfeather-processing companies are grouped together statistically in the industrial sector called “slaughtering of poultry – processing of the animal by-products” and must be provided with a certificate of admission issued by a competent veterinary authority to operate.