There is no difference on the level of technical terminology. The harvesting of feathers and down from the live animal at the moment of moulting, which should more accurately be called “gathering” or “collecting” feathers and down, is usually carried out according to certain rules at the moment of the change of feathers, the moulting season, when a new generation of feathers has matured and the old feathers will therefore be shed.
The moulting in birds is the system provided by nature to shed an old feather coat. The quill point is sticking very loosely in the feather follicle, because the nutrient supply of the feather has been interrupted due to hormonal reasons. This makes it possible to harvest the feathers from the live animal without inflicting any harm or hurting the goose or its skin. The technical literature on this topic has emphasized time and again that in general the sensitivity of poultry skin is much lower than the sensitivity of the skin of mammals.
Quelle
Verband der Deutschen Daunen- und Federnindustrie e.V.
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