Discussing Down
» Things you need to know about down and feathers.
» Misconceptions about down and feathers - Allergies.
» Misconceptions about down and feathers - Heat Accumulation.
» Misconceptions about down and feathers - Disposal.
» Misconceptions about down and feathers - Care.
» Animal abuse to have soft pillows.
» Glossary.
Things you need to know about down and feathers.
Down and feathers are a marvel of nature. In the following 6 points we are going to answer questions about their origin, their characteristic properties etc.
1. What are down?
A down looks like a delicate snow flake. It has a three dimensional structure: light and fluffy down barbs which are soft as silk and endowed with delicate ramifications grow from an almost invisible down core. The fine barbules can store large amounts of air in between. One single down weighs only about 0.001 to 0.002 g. One kilo of down corresponds to a number between half a million and one million down clusters.
2. Where do down originate from?
Down form the undercoating of waterfowl, that is geese and ducks. Landfowl such as turkeys and chickens do not have any down. Down are growing beneath the covering plumage and can most frequently be found in the breast zone.
3. What are feathers?
Feathers form the main outer protection of the bird´s body (horny integument). The feather has a flat, two dimensional shape with fine feather barbules growing from the continuous quill on both sides.
The goose feather:
The quill of the completely developed goose feather has a round and blunt shape. The feather is strongly curved and has a compact shape. The end of the vane looks as if it has been cropped. At the lower end, you will often find a large number of plumules.
The duck feather:
Duck feathers are delicate and have a strongly curved shape. They taper towards their tips or form a radiate shape.
4. Differences between down and 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 only a punctate core which makes them a lot more resilient. Down are lighter than feathers. Since they have a three dimensional structure they have a larger volume and higher fill power values than feathers.
5. Why do light down have such a good insulation capacity?
Due to their three dimensional structure and the capacity to always recover their original shape, down can store large amounts of air in proportion to their weight. High quality down consist of approximately 2 millions of fluffy barbules which are interweaved. Hence, they make up an insulating layer which keeps the body warm. Down are resilient and can therefore be compressed. If they are fluffed up thoroughly, they will quickly resume their original shape.
6. What kind of plumage provides us with top-quality down?
Generally spoken, larger down are the best down. They come from big adult birds. Therefore, geese usually supply us with top quality. Top quality down also derive from big ducks, though goose down show a slightly different structure under the microscope. The larger goose down tends to be stronger and provides higher fill power values.
» back to top
Misconceptions - Allergies.
Down and feathers are masterpieces of nature.
They serve us excellently as filling material due to their distinguished properties. Unfortunately, there are widely spread errors regarding down and feathers, which we would like to set straight:
Misconception – Allergy
…because mites thrive on down filled quilts
Good news for the many people suffering from an allergy to house dust mites: They do not have to forego their soft and cuddly down and feather filled quilt. In particular, scientific research revealed that down and feather filled quilts practically do not contain any house dust mites, since feathers are not a nutrient to mites, but the human being himself. The small animals are baited by human skin scales. And humans shed them abundantly. Every day, a human being sheds 0.5 to 1.0 g. Considering, that only 0.25 g are sufficient for the nutrition of some thousands of mites for a large time period, this is quite a large amount.
Many allergy sufferers will heave a sigh of relief after the evidence was supplied that feathers offer only a poor habitat to mites and thus are no longer a taboo to allergy sufferers. In addition, it was figured out at the same time that the down proof ticking, i. e. the shell of the filling acts as a barrier against the migration of mites in the bed. This means: also people suffering from an allergy to house dust mites may enjoy the comfort offered by down and feather filled quilts and pillows.
In this context, here is some good advice for persons suffering from an allergy to house dust mites: Do not get undressed in the bedroom, since the human skin scales are shed during the process. It makes most sense to get changed in the bath room.
“House dust mite allergen in pillows”,
Expert opinion by the Wellington Asthma Research Group, Wellington School of Medicine, New Zealand (Gutachten der Wellington Asthma Research Group, Wellington School of Medicine, New Zealand)
» http://www.nomite.de/e_wellingt.htm
“Expert opinion on the assessment of the Prevalence of Keratin allergy”
Expert assessment on the relevance of keratin allergy, Prof. Dr. med. Hoffmann, former Head of the Paediatric Institute of the Clinical Center of the University of Frankfurt on the Main, Germany.
» http://www.nomite.de/e_hofmann_engl.htm
Misconceptions - Heat Accumulation.
Whether people feel comfortable in bed or not during their sleep is determined decisively by the climate created under the duvet (the bed hollow climate).
The insulating effect of a quilt chiefly depends on:
• the filling material (for instance down and feathers)
• the filling quantity (indicated in gram)
• the type of stitching (for instance: duvets with interior baffle walls, stitched-through duvets which are available in a number of different patterns)
• the capacity of the filling to store air, since these air filled pockets make up the volume and the insulating capacity of a quilt
• the drape-ability (i.e. to what extent the quilt has the ability to adapt to the shape of the sleeper and his or her movements)
Down and feather filled bedding products can be designed custom made with respect to the needs of the one who is sleeping. In this regard, the temperature preferred in the bedroom, the heat emission of the body, the inclination to perspire and the movements of the sleeping person must be taken into account. The quilt can be “tailor-made” by varying the quilt size, the filling weight and the kind of stitching.
Thus, besides the season, the ambient temperature and the temperature in the bedroom, it is the sleeper’s needs which finally decide upon the type of quilt to purchase. A comfortable down filling, provided with interior baffle walls for the wintertime might be suitable for people who feel cold easily. Stitched through light down quilts with fillings, which are permanently fixed in the quilts’ various compartments are suitable for use during the summertime. This way the sleeping person is optimally equipped.
One thing should be paid attention to: In any case it is recommended to choose the comfort size (155 x 220 cm).
Misconceptions - Disposal.
Down and feathers are environment-friendly because waste feathers might be applied as valuable fertilizer after they can no longer be used as filling material.
Within the scope of examinations performed at Hohenheim University (Germany) titled “The applicability of feather meal as organic nitrogen fertilizer in agriculture and horticulture“, the nutrient content of feather meal, horn meal and barn manure were analysed and compared. Here are the results:
Comparison between the nutrient contents of feather meal, horn meal and barn manure:
Down and feathers which cannot be used as filling material any longer, are perfectly suited as nitrogen fertilizer in flower boxes or for beds of flowers! Soil dwelling microbes decompose the feathers so that their components can be assimilated by the plants.
Misconceptions - Care.
It is so easy to care for down- and feather-filled duvets appropriately!
1. When it is dry outside the duvet may be fluffed up and aired at the open window. Thus, the filling is loosened and new air filled pockets will form. The humidity which has accumulated during the night will be removed when the duvet is aired. Down and feather filled duvets do not need much care. Down and feathers are even washable!
Please, make sure that they are thoroughly dried! Duvets may not be exposed to the blazing sun, and neither beaten nor vacuum cleaned!
2. The filling can be cleaned at the specialist shop or the duvet / the pillow can be washed in the washing machine. Please, follow the care instructions that have been attached to the bedding product.
» back to top
Animal abuse to have soft pillows.
There is a debate in Europe as to whether feathers may be plucked from live geese or not.
By our stringer, Detlef Fechtner.
Brussels: Some think it is animal abuse, others say it is a kind of feather harvesting: A heated discussion has been raised among the European Ministers of Agriculture about the fact whether feathers and down may be plucked from live geese furthermore.
The Swedish government had set the ball rolling. According to the government it is doubtful that it can be admissible, if the feathers are ripped out while the geese´s feet are tied up and their wings are fixed in order to use the down for pillows and jackets. The animal rights group “Four Paws” has reported about practices on Hungarian geese farms that severely pain the animals. The animals would be wounded during the plucking process. In many cases the skin would chap and then it would be disinfected with industrial cleaners.
The Hungarian delegation, however, has a completely different point of view. EU-diplomats report that the Hungarians defend such animal treatment as humane. There would be no “plucking” but only “harvesting”. This means: The breeder supposedly merely comb out loose down which would be shed anyway. The other feathers would be too hard for down-filled quilts.
Brussels now shall examine if the live plucking of geese is consistent with EU law. In Germany, the animal protection act prohibits the removal or amputation of parts of the body or tissue. According to surveys in the various states and the knowledge of the breeding associations, there are no geese farms performing live plucking in Germany, anyway. If at all, then only from the dead slaughter cattle.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Glossary.
Each branch has its own technical terms and definitions.
Among other things, CEN (European body of standardization) developed the definition standard EN 1885 which defines the technical terms of the feather industry.
As follows the most important definitions of EN 1885:
• Down
• Feather
• Eiderduck down
• Waterfowl feather
• Goose feather
• Duck feather
• Landfowl feather
• Reprocessed feather
• Finished feather
• New feather
Down
Plumage forming the undercoating of waterfowl, consisting of clusters of light, fluffy filaments growing from one scantly down core but without any quill shaft or vane.
Feather
Horny integument of fowls. It has a shorter and softer vane than quill feather and, unlike plumules, a well developed quill.
Waterfowl feather
Feather derived from the plucking of waterfowl, such as ducks and geese.
Goose feather
Feather derived from the plucking of geese.
Duck feather
Feather derived from the plucking of ducks.
Down of Eiderduck
Down picked from eiderducks´ nests.
Landfowl feather
Feather derived from the plucking of landfowl, includes chicken feathers and turkey.
Finished feather
Feather which has been passed through all the working processes, including washing, drying and all hygienic treatments.
New feather
Feather not previously used after plucking as filling material.
Reprocessed feather
Feather which has been previously used as filling material and again subjected to treatment.
The standard EN 1885, edition June 1998, which contains further definitions on the subject “down and feathers” can be obtained from:
British Standards Institution
Chiswick High Road 389
London W410772 Berlin
Telephone: 0044 / 208996 9000
» back to top
