What is Down?

Down and feathers are the plumage of birds, down being the soft underplumage, mostly from the breast. For the quality of filling required by the outdoor trade, landfowl (poultry) can be ignored: waterfowl (ducks and geese) are the sole source.

Down and feathers are a by-product of the food industry. When the birds are killed to eat, the plumage is plucked off, processed and sold separately.

Live plucking has been banned by strict rules of the meat industry in Europe. It is easily detectable by experienced processors who will not handle this material.

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