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Daunen

What are down?

A down has a delicate shape like a flake. It consists of an almost invisible down core with down barbs soft as silk and endowed with delicate ramifications growing radiantly from the core. Down is a highly resilient material. For instance, if you compress a fistful of down in your hand and unhand them, the down will quickly develop and recover their original shape.

A down has a delicate shape like a flake. It consists of an almost invisible down core with down barbs soft as silk and endowed with delicate ramifications growing radiantly from the core. Down is a highly resilient material. For instance, if you compress a fistful of down in your hand and unhand them, the down will quickly develop and recover their original shape.

 
Down are lighter than feathers. Due to their three-dimensional structure they can trap large amounts of air in between. This property is measured and figured in fill power (filling volume).
 
Air-filled pockets are formed between the fine barbules of the down which protect from cold. Due to their capacity of providing “warmth without weight”, down are extremely suited for top-quality bedding products.
From experience, one single down weighs about 0.0025 g to 0.0045 g. Down show differences depending on the breed and the weight of the geese and ducks.
 
About 250 000 to 400 000 single down are required to obtain one kilogramme of goose down.
To obtain one kilogramme of eiderduck down, which are the most delicate and at the same time the lightest down, approximately 500 000 to one million of single down must be collected.
 
Valid terms and definitions for feathers and down have been stipulated in a standard (EN 1885).
Daunen

Are down small feathers?

No. Down are completely different from feathers.
No. Down are completely different from feathers.
 
First of all, down and feathers have different structures. Down are a type of their own, i. e. they are not young or small feathers and they will never evolve into feathers. Down have no quill, but fine ramifications which grow from a punctate core.
 

Down are lighter than feathers. Since they have a three-dimensional structure they can store larger amounts of air in between. This capacity is measured and figured by the so-called fill-power (filling volume).

 

 
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Which down are the best ones?

Usually, the larger down are considered the best ones, because they provide better fill power values than smaller down, and therefore they can store larger amounts of air in between. Since larger down derive from big adult birds, usually geese provide top quality. But also big ducks supply fine quality- down. However, goose down show a slightly different structure under the microscope.
Usually, the larger down are considered the best ones, because they provide better fill power values than smaller down, and therefore they can store larger amounts of air in between. Since larger down derive from big adult birds, usually geese provide top quality. But also big ducks supply fine quality- down. However, goose down show a slightly different structure under the microscope. Large goose down tend to be stronger and provide better fill power figures.
 
The unchallenged number one though is the eiderduck down which is the most high- grade and most expensive down deriving from rather small ducks. Even so, eiderduck down are larger than all other down and provide unmatched fill power figures and heat-insulation capacities.
 
Daunen

Which birds grow down for bedding articles?

Down is the plumage forming the undercoating of waterfowl, they form a heat-insulating layer in the depth of the plumage. Down can only be found at the chest and the abdominal area of the birds whilst feathers cover the whole body.
 
The entire plumage of a goose consists of about 300 g down and feathers. Thereof, approx. 60 g are fine chest plumage with down.
Down is the plumage forming the undercoating of waterfowl, they form a heat-insulating layer in the depth of the plumage. Down can only be found at the chest and the abdominal area of the birds whilst feathers cover the whole body.
 
The entire plumage of a goose consists of about 300 g down and feathers. Thereof, approx. 60 g are fine chest plumage with down.
 
Only down of geese and ducks are used. Swans (protected species), for example, are out of the question as suppliers for down. Landfowl, as for instance chickens and turkey hens, do not possess any down.
 
Daunen Decken

Why are duvets filled with eiderduck down so expensive?

Especially eiderduck down are of high quality. They come from the species eiderduck that are living as protected birds in the wild on the coasts of the Northern Seas. Eiderduck down must be picked from the abandoned nests after the breeding period.
Especially eiderduck down are of high quality. They come from the species eiderduck that are living as protected birds in the wild on the coasts of the Northern Seas. Eiderduck down must be picked from the abandoned nests after the breeding period.
They provide excellent fill power figures which almost double the fill power values of top-quality goose down. One kilogramme contains about 500 000 single eiderdown but only 300 000 goose down. Eiderduck down are even more delicate and lighter than goose or duck down and have a natural brownish colour. They have scarcity value and are difficult to process, respectively, which leads to stiff prices.
 
Eiderducks mainly live in Iceland, Greenland, Scandinavia and the Northern regions of Canada. They breed in hollows on the ground or on rocks and pad out the nests with down they plucked out from their bodies themselves.
Eiderducks are protected birds since they are a critically endangered bird species and cannot be bred.
 
After the young birds left the nest the eiderdown are collected. Only personnel that was well technically trained, is permitted to climb on the rocks to pick the down from the nests after the breeding period. Thus, there is tight supply, but great demand (Saudi-Arabia, Japan).

Eiderduck down have excellent heat-insulating capacities. The barbules are larger than goose and duck down and have countless ramifications. In spite of their size they are even lighter and more delicate than usual goose or duck down. The barbules of eiderduck down are twinned. Their barbs are frizzed and form prongs at their ends which make the down stick together. If they did not form a cohesive pad, the wind would blow the single down out of the nest.
 
The sticky structure of the eiderduck down makes the processing difficult. Bedding articles filled with eiderdown have to be cleaned and processed manually.

 


Further information on the internet:

 

Herkunft Federn Daunen

What are the regions of origin of down and feathers?

Raw down and feathers, the so-called raw material, traditionally come from Eastern Europe (Hungary, Poland) and Asia (China, Taiwan) but countries like Canada, France and Russia also supply significant quantities. The regions of area are also called provenance.
 
The filling material is mainly imported from countries in which poultry is mainly kept for the purpose of human nutrition and therefore intensive poultry farming is conducted. That applies to China among others.
Raw down and feathers, the so-called raw material, traditionally come from Eastern Europe (Hungary, Poland) and Asia (China, Taiwan) but countries like Canada, France and Russia also supply significant quantities. The regions of area are also called provenance.
 
The filling material is mainly imported from countries in which poultry is mainly kept for the purpose of human nutrition and therefore intensive poultry farming is conducted. That applies to China among others. In contrast, poultry farming in Hungary and Poland is conducted with the main goal of meat export. In France, especially those ducks are bred whose feathers can be partly used for the home requirements and partly for the export.
 
The climate in which the birds live plays an important role for the quality of down and feathers. Geese and ducks, which live in regions with short summers and long winters (e.g. Iceland, Canada, Siberia) develop a correspondent plumage that protects them against extreme cold. Those down and feathers therefore have an especial high heat-insulating capacity.

 
Federn Daunen Herkunft

Why are most down and feathers imported?

Down and feathers are a by-product of meat production. Consequently, their production depends strongly on the nutritional habits of the respective country. A high consumption of geese and duck meat means a large amount of down and feathers. This is the case in most Asian countries where poultry meat plays a dominant role in the diet.
 
Down and feathers are a by-product of meat production. Consequently, their production depends strongly on the nutritional habits of the respective country. A high consumption of geese and duck meat means a large amount of down and feathers. This is the case in most Asian countries where poultry meat plays a dominant role in the diet.
 
Federn Daunen Herkunft

How are down and feathers collected from the birds? Are they plucked from the living animal?

Down and feathers as a by-product
Down and feathers are a by-product of poultry meat production. The amount of the geese and ducks kept for this purpose are closely connected to the corresponding meat consumption. In Asian countries, for instance, poultry meat is one of the main foods of the population.
Down and feathers as a by-product
Down and feathers are a by-product of poultry meat production. The amount of the geese and ducks kept for this purpose are closely connected to the corresponding meat consumption. In Asian countries, for instance, poultry meat is one of the main foods of the population. In the Easter European countries, by contrast, the export of poultry meat is to the fore.
 
 
Plucking
Down and feathers are usually collected after slaughtering of the birds.
 
The moulting, the natural shed of the plumage, also plays a role for the collecting of down and feathers after the slaughtering. It is important that ducks and geese are slaughtered exactly at the time of their moulting period in order not to hurt their skin. For most birds, this is the case when they reach the first moulting period, i.e. ducks at the age of 8 to 12 weeks and geese at the age of 14 weeks.
 
Those birds that are not primarily destined for meat production, but for instance kept for breeding purposes (breeding geese) live longer and undergo a process during which the feathers are shed due to hormonal reasons (moulting season). Down and feathers from those birds can be collected manually.
 
The material harvested from the living birds is of particular high quality as it usually comes from older, further developed birds which make it more expensive, too. Nowadays, there is a high demand for such collected down and feathers predominantly in Asian countries (especially Japan).
 
 
Hand plucking
Geese reach their moulting period at the age of 12 to 14 weeks which means that the down and feathers shed and are replaced by new ones.
Thus, down and feathers are harvested by hand when the natural moulting process takes place.
One has to wait until the down and feathers have reached the right degree of maturity. Feathers then grow again after 6 to 7 weeks and the cycle repeats itself. Harvesting of feathers concerns the traditional breeding geese (which lay eggs and produce offspring). They reach the moulting period 3 to 4 times a year.
 
Only a fraction of the traded down and feathers is collected from geese by hand. According to estimates, over 98% of the worldwide supply of down and feathers are harvested after the slaughtering of the bird as the consumer prefers young meat from smaller birds (statistic calculations of the European Down and Feather Association, EDFA).
 

 

Federn Daunen

Are down and feathers environment-friendly?

Down and feathers are continuously regrowing raw materials. They consist of natural protein and do not contain any harmful substances.
  • Down and feathers are a by-product of meat production. They originate mainly from countries with high consumption of goose and duck meat. Geese and ducks are not kept for the purpose of harvesting down and feathers.
  • Down and feathers are produced through the natural process of growing of the fowl.  
  • Down and feathers are biodegradable and even provide valuable fertilizer.
Down and feathers are continuously regrowing raw materials. They consist of natural protein and do not contain any harmful substances.
  • Down and feathers are a by-product of meat production. They originate mainly from countries with high consumption of goose and duck meat. Geese and ducks are not kept for the purpose of harvesting down and feathers.
  • Down and feathers are produced through the natural process of growing of the fowl.  
  • Down and feathers are biodegradable and even provide valuable fertilizer. Hence, they can be disposed of without polluting the environment.

 

Further Information at DOWNAPEDIA:

 

 

Daunen

Why do we only talk about duck and goose down and not about chicken down?

Chicken do not have any down. Only the so-called “waterfowl” provides us with down. Chicken and turkeys which are classified as “landfowl“ do not have any down.

 

Chicken do not have any down. Only the so-called “waterfowl” provides us with down. Chicken and turkeys which are classified as “landfowl“ do not have any down.