Emus and ostriches are farmed globally for meat, leather and oil. As ratites with complex behavioural needs, they present distinctive welfare challenges compared to conventional livestock.
Ratite welfare in farming contexts is poorly understood relative to their behavioural complexity. Ostriches are highly sensitive to novel stimuli and disturbance, and can die from acute stress during chasing or restraint — a phenomenon known as capture myopathy. Commercial facilities that crowd ostriches or handle them inexpertly cause severe welfare problems. Emus are curious, social birds that suffer from understimulating environments. Both species require large areas for normal locomotion; confinement restricts natural ranging behaviour. The ratite industry lacks the welfare standards and independent monitoring frameworks applied to mainstream poultry. Developing evidence-based welfare criteria for ratite species is an important gap in farm animal science.