Medium Down Blanket

If people in Scandinavia and Germany want to sleep well-warmed, they go for a a duvet. Because in terms of warmth, softness and lightness, down and feathers are unsurpassed. Nevertheless choosing the right ones is key: It is highly recommended to use the down and feathers of waterfowls like ducks and geese for filling duvets. The down of adult geese has a larger volume and is even warmer than duck down – with the exception of the noble eider down. Fine goose down has a high bulking capacity. For example, if you are patient enough, you can press 2,000 goose downs into a thimble; released from the pressure, they immediately expand again to their original volume. No other filling material comes close to this bulking capacity and thus to the ability to hold and exchange air. The air between the fine branches of the down provides thermal insulation and the desired warmth. Another plus: The circulating warmth transports moisture away from the person sleeping underneath the duvet.

As a matter of fact, good goose down is rare. You find just a share of ca. 25 to 40 grams of down in the feathers of one goose, while you need between 500 and 1,000 grams to fill one duvet. Some breeders, eventually, try to increase the low yield by plucking the animals several times, thereby causing them indescribable pain. Therefore, it is essential to look closely at the origin of down and feathers – and the rearing conditions and plucking practices. The waterfowls husbandry must meet species-appropriate standards. And since there is no plucking without distress to the animals, it has to be done subsequent to the slaughtering. We have found a farm in Bavaria that excludes live-plucking, even in moulting periods. All feathers and down for the duvets and pillows in our range come from this farm.
The family-run poultry farm breeds primarily for meat production, while the geese feed on grain that grows on the farm. On principle, the feeders add neither growth promoters nor hormones nor antibiotics and other medicines. Last but not least, there is a slaughterhouse onsite the farm grounds, eliminating long transport routes for the animals. Plucking follows the animals’ slaughter. Finally, the farmer has the resulting down and feathers cleaned and ready-packed for shipment.