Think about it, if you’re taking feathers off a bird, there are two ways to do it: you can rip them off while the bird is still alive, or you can rip them off after the bird is dead. The feather industry considers feathers from live birds’ better quality; hence they are more valuable. So, geese and ducks get “live-plucked” 3 to 4 times a year. This happens from the time they are 10 weeks until they are 4 years old. Then they are sent to slaughter for their flesh. Ducks and geese in the wild have a lifespan of 12-15 years. Plucking causes geese and ducks considerable pain and distress. Their feathers are often pulled out so violently that their skin is torn open, leaving them with gaping wounds that the workers crudely sew up without any pain relief. Plucking may begin when the animals are only 10 weeks old and be repeated in six-week intervals until they are slaughtered at about 4 years old, far short of their natural life expectancy.