Ratites — ostriches, emus, and rheas — are large flightless birds farmed for meat, leather, and oil. Their welfare needs differ substantially from those of conventional poultry and require specialised management approaches.
Ratite welfare is severely compromised when birds are kept in enclosures too small for their flight responses. When panicked, ostriches and emus run into fences at full speed, causing severe neck injuries, broken legs, and fatal trauma. Welfare-positive ratite farming requires enclosures large enough to allow running and flight responses without obstruction, appropriate substrate that prevents ingestion of dangerous foreign bodies, and social management that avoids aggressive introductions. Slaughter is a significant welfare challenge — ratites require specialist handling equipment and trained personnel, and poorly executed stunning causes significant suffering. The ratite farming industry remains largely unregulated in most countries, creating wide welfare variation between farms.