Down

Last updated 23 August 2025

In Australia, ducks are farmed for their flesh; however, many consumers in Australia purchase down products made from the feathers of ducks farmed overseas.

Live plucking of ducks (Four Paws)

 

Around 80% of the world's down and feathers used for items like jackets, sleeping bags and bedding come from China, where the live plucking of ducks and geese remains a common practice. This involves painfully ripping the feathers out of the birds' skin, leaving open and bloody wounds, a process repeated multiple times before they are finally slaughtered.

Ultimately, it isn't possible to know whether particular down products in Australia or elsewhere come from these farms.