Down
Duck feathers are sometimes used for products such as bedding and jackets for extra padding and insulation. Buying these products directly supports the duck meat industry where ducks are selectively bred, undergo beak and feather mutilations, and are kept in unnatural, overcrowded conditions. At the end of their unnaturally short lives, ducks are transported to slaughterhouses where their necks are cut and their feathers removed. It is easy to avoid funding this cruel industry as there are many manmade alternatives to items that contain down.
For more information on duck farming practices: