Ostrich farming for meat, leather, and feathers presents specific welfare challenges related to the behavioral needs of the world largest bird, which requires space and social conditions that intensive farming systems often fail to provide.
Ostrich welfare in commercial farming depends heavily on space and social management. As large, cursorial birds evolved for extensive ranging in open habitats, confinement in intensive systems prevents the locomotory behaviors that are central to their natural lifestyle. Adequate space for running, appropriate social groupings, and management that minimizes stress during handling and transport are key welfare requirements. Feather pecking — a welfare indicator similar to feather pecking in poultry — occurs at higher rates in overcrowded or understimulated ostrich groups. The handling and slaughter of ostriches is complicated by their defensive capabilities — kicks from ostrich legs can cause serious injury — and appropriate stunning methods for such large birds require specific equipment and trained personnel. Welfare standards for ostrich farming vary significantly between operations and countries.