Feather Extensions are cruel

The first time I saw feather extensions, I thought they were beautiful! At the time, we did not offer extensions as a service in my salon, so I didn't do much investigation on the topic. More and more people started asking me where they could get them, and at the same time we started training on offering extension services in the salon. So, I googled and googled my way through the world of feather hair extensions. The shocking truth is that the birds are killed for these feathers!! From the Seattle Times:

At Whiting Farms Inc., in western Colorado, one of the world's largest producers of fly tying feathers, the roosters live about a year while their saddle feathers — the ones on the bird's backside and the most popular for hair extensions — grow as long as possible. Then the animal is euthanized

I couldn't believe this! I called my extension company (who claim they are 'eco-friendly'') and they confirmed this fact! Not only is this the only reason these roosters are bred, but they do not use the flesh for anything - animal feed, etc. NOTHING! Apparently our hunger for trends is causing a shortage of roosters, the farm mentioned above cannot keep up with demand. 
Whiting Farms is harvesting about 1,500 birds a week for their feathers and still can't keep up with its current orders, said owner and founder Tom Whiting, a poultry geneticist. The company has stopped taking on new accounts.

We at the Disco Dolls Studio will be offering faux feather extensions. You can get the same look, without the killing! Hair is colored to look like the popular feathers. Look for these next month!!