Ostriches are farmed for meat, leather, and feathers primarily in South Africa, which produces over 75% of the world's ostrich products. Their welfare in farming systems reflects the challenge of managing wild-type animals in captivity.
Ostrich welfare is shaped by the fundamental challenge of farming an animal whose behavior, physiology, and stress responses evolved for open savanna life. Ostriches are highly vigilant, can deliver dangerous kicks capable of killing a human, and respond to perceived threat with explosive flight or aggression. Their welfare in farming systems depends on skilled handling, appropriate social grouping, adequate space to flee and establish territories, and management protocols that minimize capture and restraint. The feather harvesting practice, even when done with some restraint rather than surgical removal, causes measurable stress. The leather industry's demand for ostrich skin has driven intensive farming practices that prioritize skin quality over animal welfare. Welfare improvement requires industry adoption of lower-stress handling standards and consumer demand for welfare-certified products.