Feathers

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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.

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.

The duck feather

Like the goose feather the duck feather is also strongly curved from the lateral view.

Compared to the goose feather it is often more delicate and smaller. Duck feathers taper towards their tips or form a radiate shape.
 

The goose feather

A completely-developed goose feather has a round and blunt shape. The feather is strongly curved and its shape appears to be rather compact. At the lower end, the vane which is the whole of feather barbs intimately connected among them by means of barbules, looks as if it has been cropped.

In comparison to duck feathers, goose feathers are often bigger and stronger which comes from the size and the physique of the birds the material derived from.

What are feathers?

Feathers form the main outer protection of the bird´s body. Feathers have a flat, two-dimensional shape with a continuous quill in the middle that is basically a shaft. Fine closely spaced feather barbules grow from the shaft. These barbules are also called vane.