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Hair Fashion Raises Hackles
Fly fishermen cry foul as hairdressers flock to tackle shops in search of prized rooster feathers. Article

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In Search of Cruelty-Free Feathers
Concern about treatment of roosters sparks new twists on hair trend

Sept. 13, 2011

By Jane Herman
Newton, Mass.

	Airie McCready's Air Feathers

Jody Baucom was only trying to keep up with the latest trend when he stocked his online beauty-supply store Hairoyalty with feather hair extensions.

Then he discovered where the feathers came from.

“When we found out that the roosters have to be skinned and euthanized, we didn’t want to support that,” says Mr. Baucom, who now sells LockStarz Hair Embellishments, alternative feather extensions. “We knew there had to be a better way.”

Demand for rooster feathers as hair extensions—one of the latest beauty-salon crazes—has led to a national shortage of the feathers. It has also shone a light on the big feather suppliers, an industry that has long served the fly-fishing industry and breeds roosters solely for their plumes.

NOBODY KNEW, NOBODY CARED

Now many hair-accessory suppliers, including Mr. Baucom, sell cruelty-free feathers made from synthetic materials or feathers that were naturally molted.
 
“At first, nobody knew where hackle feathers came from and nobody cared,” said Airie McCready, founder and creative director of Air Feathers, which sells cruelty-free feathers. “Once the trend got more popular and people had trouble finding feathers, many hairdressers began to do their research.”

The feathers became popular when celebrities, including pop singer Ke$ha and American idol judge Steven Tyler, started wearing them. People in the hair industry first discovered there was a problem when hairdressers and fly fisherman had to compete for supply.

Garret Belcher, who is the Rod and Tackle Specialists for Orvis, said rooster breeders weren’t prepared for the hair trend. Saddle hackle feathers come from genetically altered roosters. A healthy crop of these birds with the long feathers requires planning two to three years in advance. These roosters are bred only for their feathers.
 
“What are desired by fly tyers and fashion folks alike are the 'first nuptial' feathers,” or breeding plumage, and subsequent sets of feathers are not as good,” Tom Whiting, owner of the nation’s largest hackle farm, Whiting Farms, said in an email. He added that the roosters are bred and killed only for their feathers.

Amelia Jensen, college campaign assistant for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, wrote in an email that, “Roosters exploited for their feathers suffer immensely. The birds are generally kept in noisy sheds with thousands of other birds in row upon row of small ‘isolation’ cages, sometimes stacked one on top of the other.”
 
“These birds spend most of their lives in small cages, only to be killed at a fraction of their natural lifespan,” she said. “With so many humane alternatives available, there's simply no excuse for continuing to support such a cruel industry.”

'MOST PAMPERED CHICKENS IN THE WORLD'

Mr. Whiting disputes that characterization of his business. He said his mission statement has always been "to provide feathers to the fly fishing tyers of the world with the best quality, value, selection, service and reputation."
 
To provide this quality of feathers, “our roosters get an exceptionally long life of almost a year waiting for these saddle feathers to get as long as they can, compared with a meat chicken that is harvested at 35 to 49 days of age,” he said. “But unlike the brutal end that most commercial chickens endure, at Whiting Farms we euthanize the chickens painlessly so there is no distress nor blood.”

“Our chickens are the most pampered chickens in the world,” he added. “It is exceptional how good their treatment is.”
 
Justine Bethel, who sells feathers on the Friendly Feather Shop website, says she has seen the roosters suffer, constantly scratching at the overgrown feathers.

“To get more feathers out of the birds, they are genetically altered to have feathers that grow very thick and close together, which is very uncomfortable,” she said.
 
Her friends who own the roosters as pets constantly need to cut or trim the birds’ feathers. Hackle farmers let the feathers grow long enough to sell, which causes the suffering, Ms. Bethel said.
 
Ms. Bethel has been selling molted feathers for a year and a half. “I was doing them before they got trendy,” she said.
 
She says her feathers are different because she uses only feathers that are molted from the bird. She contacts wildlife companies directly to get the feathers.

“It is always a constant struggle, but I make it work,” she said. “I have seen a [slowdown] in the hackle feather business now that people know where they come from. There is definitely more of a demand for cruelty-free feathers or synthetic feathers.”
 
Mr. Baucom was aware of this trend when he decided to create LockStarz Alternative feathers. These feathers, which were first shipped on June 1, allow for a constant supply with more options that do not involve killing roosters.

Mr. Baucom said his customers are people who cannot find real hackle feathers and environmentalists who are aware of the cruelty involved. He sells 15-inch extensions in packages of 10 for $10 a pack with $1 donated to Locks of Love. He does not disclose financial information, but he said he sells thousands of packs a month.

 “We increased tenfold in a short amount of time,” he said. “We started with this product and added several more that are all-natural. We are now selling more clippings and real, cruelty-free feathers.”
 
Air Feathers’ Ms. McCready also switched from selling real hackle feathers to a cruelty-free alternative. “Once I figured out where the feathers came from, it bothered me that every 15 months, roosters were just being decimated and wiped out for their feathers,” she said.
 
Since June 16, Air Feathers has sold approximately $60,000 worth of naturally molted feathers and tools, Ms. McCready said.

Mr. Whiting said he expected his business to expand. “Because of the nature of a fashion trend, there is no telling how long it will stay, in style, so it is a big risk.”