Ostrich farming for meat, leather and feathers raises welfare challenges rooted in the mismatch between this large, wide-ranging bird's behavioural needs and intensive production conditions.
Ostrich welfare in intensive farming systems reflects the fundamental mismatch between a species evolved for wide-open savannah environments and confinement in small paddocks. Ostriches are large, fast birds that in the wild range over several kilometres daily - farm enclosures that prevent running and restrict foraging cause measurable chronic frustration. Feather pecking and self-directed behaviours in farmed ostriches parallel stereotypic behaviours in other species and indicate unmet behavioural needs. The luxury leather market that drives much ostrich farming involves premium prices that could support higher welfare standards, yet welfare investment has not followed market value. Consumer awareness of ostrich welfare conditions when purchasing leather goods is essentially zero.