Ratites (emus, ostriches, and rheas) are increasingly farmed globally for meat, leather, and oil. Their specific welfare needs as large flightless birds require specialized management.
Ratite welfare is a largely invisible issue in animal welfare discussions despite significant production scale. Ostriches are intelligent, curious birds with complex behavioral needs including large ranging areas, appropriate social grouping, and enrichment that engages their investigative nature. In poor welfare conditions - overcrowded, barren, or poorly socialized - ostriches show severe welfare-negative behaviors including feather pecking that causes significant injury, and pacing stereotypies. Handling and slaughter of these powerful birds presents welfare challenges requiring specialized equipment and training. Emu farming for oil involves welfare trade-offs that depend heavily on housing conditions and handling quality. The welfare standards that apply to other intelligent birds should apply with equal rigor to ratites.