feather centerpieces - cruel?

maryandbrooks

I'm exploring the idea of feather centerpieces but had the thought of where these feathers were coming from? I would hate for some bird to be hurt for my silly centerpiece. Anyone have thoughts or know of a reputable source of natural/animal friendly feathers?

WildMagelet

To my knowledge most natural feathers are farmed.  They are harvested when the birds are slaughtered for meat.  The US has regulations regarding how they can be harvested in order to prevent suffering to the animals.  If it is a large concern I would check the country of origin or look up information on the specific distributors.

If you're looking for naturally shed feathers, I know there are several stores that advertise "cruelty-free" feathers on both eBay and etsy.  Alternatively you could consider synthetic feathers.

crunchymamaof2

Any feathers I've seen in centerpieces looked fake. I would just research where you'd be getting the feathers to make sure they're from a reputable source.

Maggie0829

acove2006 said:

Any feathers I've seen in centerpieces looked fake. I would just research where you'd be getting the feathers to make sure they're from a reputable source.

This. Ostrich feathers or peacock feathers or the like that I have seen are not real but rather man made. Like acove said, if you are worried about it then just research the source you are getting them from.

doeydo

Some birds do have their feathers ripped out, i.e. for down.  You can get cruelty free feathers that are man-made or ones that are naturally molted.  http://www.crueltyfreefeathers.com/

HaileyDancingbear

I think that's an answer that is going to vary based on what kind of feathers you buy and what brand you buy from.  Make a list of brands/types of feathers you're looking at and see if you can find anything by looking up the individual brand.  

I'm sure you can find cruelty free feathers, and as a major bird lover I'm glad you're taking this into consideration

maryandbrooks

Thanks for your responses. I'm just diving into wedding planning and OMG its overwhelming!!!!!!