Farmed geese face welfare challenges related to force-feeding for foie gras production, intensive housing, and feather plucking practices that cause significant suffering.
Farmed goose welfare encompasses some of the most controversial practices in animal agriculture. Foie gras production, which involves force-feeding geese and ducks to produce pathologically enlarged livers, is widely considered one of the most harmful animal food production practices and is banned in the UK. Live plucking of geese and ducks for down filling — plucking feathers from living birds rather than those plucked post-slaughter — causes acute pain and is documented despite producer denials. Even in conventional goose production outside these extreme practices, the welfare of geese depends heavily on housing quality, space allowance, and access to water.