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The Kessler family live on a farm in the quiet village of Boofzheim in Alsace, France. Their business is producing Foie Gras and they raise force-fed ducks near the German border region. The youngest member is daughter Mireille wearing a blood-stained apron. She is about to cut the throat of a duck, draining the body and especially the liver of blood. After tapping the head with a knife to render the animal unconscious, she stands in a pool of blood from other birds which stains the courtyard floor. On the left, her parents and grandmother are plucking the feathers from newly-killed carcasses which are strung up on a special rack for this purpose. France produces and consumes the most Foie Gras in Europe using the French Gavage method of forcing ducks or geese to consume vast quatities of corn mash down the esophagus two weeks before slaughter.

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Filename: alsace_ducks01_1.jpg
Copyright: Richard Baker
Image Size: 5120x3335 / 1.9MB; http://www.bakerpictures.com; France europe European Richard Baker reportage photojournalism animal business economics economy finance people relationships social issues work foie gras Alsace family domestic slaughter ducks bloody killing speciality workers generations parents daughter bleeding skinning food chain culinary gourmet rack chore carcass headless decapitate gory seasonal cutting throat delicacy gavage unconscious animal rights cruelty courtyard stained red render purpose method pool apron food
Contained in galleries: Richard Baker - All pics

The Kessler family live on a farm in the quiet village of Boofzheim in Alsace, France. Their business is producing Foie Gras and they raise force-fed ducks near the German border region. The youngest member is daughter Mireille wearing a blood-stained apron. She is about to cut the throat of a duck, draining the body and especially the liver of blood. After tapping the head with a knife to render the animal unconscious, she stands in a pool of blood from other birds which stains the courtyard floor. On the left, her parents and grandmother are plucking the feathers from newly-killed carcasses which are strung up on a special rack for this purpose. France produces and consumes the most Foie Gras in Europe using the French Gavage method of forcing ducks or geese to consume vast quatities of corn mash down the esophagus two weeks before slaughter.