page_title: Force-feeding
section_title: In farming
hierarchical_section_title: Force-feeding / Of domestic animals / In farming
caption_attribution_description: Copyrighted by Gaia (Global Action in the Interest of Animals); The copyright statement in French allows use when mentioning source.
context_page_description: Force-feeding is the practice of feeding a human or animal against their will. The term gavage refers to supplying a nutritional substance by means of a small plastic feeding tube passed through the nose or mouth into the stomach.
context_section_description: Force-feeding is also known as gavage, from a French word meaning "to gorge". This term specifically refers to force-feeding of ducks or geese in order to fatten their livers in the production of foie gras.
  Force-feeding of birds is practiced mostly on geese or male Moulard ducks, a Muscovy/Pekin hybrid.  Preparation for gavage usually begins four to five months before slaughter. For geese, after an initial free-range period and treatment to assist in esophagus dilation (eating grass, for example), the force-feeding commences. Gavage is performed two to four times a day for two to five weeks, depending on the size of the fowl, using a funnel attached to a slim metal or plastic feeding tube inserted into the bird's throat to deposit the food into the bird's crop (the storage area in the esophagus). A grain mash, usually maize mixed with fats and vitamin supplements, is the feed of choice. Waterfowl are suited to the tube method due to a non-existent gag reflex and an extremely flexible esophagus, unlike other fowl such as chickens. These migratory waterfowl are also said to be ideal for gavage because of their natural ability to gain large amounts of weight in short periods of time before cold seasons.
  In modern Egypt, the practice of fattening geese and male Muscovy ducks by force-feeding them various grains is present, mostly by individuals, unrelated to foie gras production, but for general consumption of those birds later. It is not widespread on commercial farms however. The term used for such a practice is tazġīṭ (تزغيط), from the verb zaġġaṭ(a) (زغّط).
  Shen Dzu is a similar practice of force-feeding pigs.
caption: Animal welfare groups object to force-feeding of birds. Here a Mulard duck is being force fed corn in order to fatten its liver for foie gras production.
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