Arabic version: إنفلونزا الطيور ترفع تكاليف كرات الريشة الطائرة

According to ABC News, Australian badminton clubs are paying more for shuttlecocks as bird flu has reduced the supply of goose and duck feathers used to make professional equipment.

High-quality shuttlecocks use 16 feathers from the left wing of a duck or goose, but each bird provides only two to three feathers that meet specifications. Culling of geese and poultry across east and central Asia during H5N1 outbreaks has cut global supply, while China hosts most poultry farms producing the specialised feathers.

Badminton Australia chief executive Tjitte Weistra said a tube of 12 mid-range Yonex AS-30 shuttlecocks that cost $30 to $35 a decade ago now costs well over $70. He said the increase makes tournaments and regular club play increasingly expensive.

Great Southern Badminton Association chair Michelle Watson said her organisation spends $3,000 on shuttlecocks every four to six months and has raised nightly fees. She said natural feathers remain superior to synthetic alternatives, although she believes synthetics may eventually become necessary because feathers are unsustainable.

Western Australian players are particularly exposed because of the state’s reliance on imported equipment, Metamorph Shuttle director Ryan Zengyuan said. Retailers have raised prices by 30 to 50 per cent over recent years, with freight costs, oil prices and competition for cork also contributing. Clubs are now considering cheaper feather shuttles and synthetic options despite performance concerns.