Current welfare standards and emerging best practices for ostrich farming, an industry producing leather, feathers, and meat globally.
Ostrich welfare in commercial farming varies widely across operations and regions. The scale of welfare concerns ranges from fundamental housing adequacy to specific practices like live feather plucking that cause acute suffering. The sensitivity of ostriches to stress and their capacity for capture myopathy mean that handling and transport require specialized training and equipment. Certification schemes for ostrich products remain less developed than for mainstream livestock species, leaving consumer choices poorly informed. Advocacy for species-appropriate housing standards and the elimination of live plucking would significantly improve welfare across the industry.