Is it vegan?
Posted by fufuberry on Aug 31, 2008 · Member since Jul 2008 · 1786 posts
So i'm posting this here since different people would have different opinions.
Say you're hiking in the woods and find a feather. Would using it, in a hat, to make jewelry, whatever, be considered vegan since no harm/exploitation came to the animal?
I would say no it's not. It came from an animal and the vegan lifestyle is does not use any part of an animal, as much as possible. How would you know that it wasn't shot and some feathers flew off of the dead bird? Cutting the hair off of sheep and lamb doesn't hurt the animals (at least before they kill it and if its done properly), but it's still not vegan.
I'd also say no, and I don't even think it is a matter of opinion. Vegan = not using things from animals. Definition. Again, it's the argument that it doesn't matter how well the animal lived. You're still using it's body as a piece of jewelry. And you're painting the portrait that that's OK.
(Fergie's song "Fergalicious" just came into my head....Fergalicious, definition: make them boys go loco.)
But, as always, "not vegan" doesn't automatically = worst thing in the world. But as a matter of principle, no, it is not vegan.
Another perspective for castoffs, like feathers or eggs, is to see how they fit into the ecosystem. How do other animals use discarded bird feathers? Is removing them from nature affecting another animal who then doesn't have access to that feather?
good point HH. A lot of other birds use discarded feathers, etc. in nests. A friend asked me this, and I was like...hmm... I am not sure, so I decided to ask the veterans =-)
I think my stance is that it isn't vegan, but if someone were going to use a feather for a school project, fashion, whatever, and they were dead set on using it, I'd rather them find one then buy some that were commercially harvested.
good point HH. A lot of other birds use discarded feathers, etc. in nests. A friend asked me this, and I was like...hmm... I am not sure, so I decided to ask the veterans =-)
I think my stance is that it isn't vegan, but if someone were going to use a feather for a school project, fashion, whatever, and they were dead set on using it, I'd rather them find one then buy some that were commercially harvested.
Absolutely. And good point, hh. I never thought of it that way.
Also feathers return a lot of valuable elements to the soil, so even if no animal can use them the earth can and does.
Say you're hiking in the woods and find a feather. Would using it, in a hat, to make jewelry, whatever, be considered vegan since no harm/exploitation came to the animal?
I would say in my opinion, this specific example is perfectly fine. I actually have a blue jay feather I found in my yard on my refrigerator, and never once gave it a thought about it not "being vegan". I think the feather has more value inspiring thoughts of how beautiful nature is every time I look at the fridge than it's value decomposing. Accidental findings that do no harm are OK in my book.