Ostriches are farmed in small but growing numbers for leather, feathers, and meat. As large, intelligent birds with complex social needs, their welfare in intensive systems raises important concerns that are only beginning to be addressed.
Ostrich welfare faces particular challenges from their acute stress sensitivity and the difficulty of handling such large, powerful, and flighted birds. Live feather plucking causes obvious acute pain and distress. Slaughter welfare is problematic because effective stunning of such large birds requires specialist equipment rarely available in all producing countries. Housing in crowded, barren conditions prevents expression of natural ranging, foraging, and social behaviours. The ostrich farming sector has minimal welfare regulation compared to poultry, creating significant welfare gaps.