Ostriches are farmed for leather, feathers, and meat in South Africa and other countries, with welfare challenges arising from their specialized ecology and behavioral requirements.
Ostrich farming welfare is complicated by the mismatch between their wild ecology and commercial production requirements. Ostriches evolved to run vast distances across open African savanna — confinement in commercial paddocks, even large ones, restricts this fundamental locomotor need. Live plucking for feathers causes acute pain and fear in a prey species already highly stressed by human proximity. The practice has been condemned by animal welfare organizations and is increasingly banned by retailers adopting feather welfare policies. Slaughter welfare requires particular attention: ostriches in pre-slaughter handling become acutely panicked, and their cardiovascular systems are vulnerable to stress-induced mortality during transit and handling. Processing facilities designed for ostrich-specific handling reduce pre-slaughter welfare harms. Consumer awareness of live plucking in ostrich feather supply chains remains low.