Emu farming for oil, meat, and leather raises welfare considerations around the management of highly active, curious birds in commercial confinement settings.
Emus in commercial farming face welfare challenges from restriction of their natural ranging behavior. While emu farms typically provide more space than conventional poultry operations, the birds remain significantly restricted relative to their wild movement patterns. Emus that cannot express natural exploration and ranging behavior may develop stereotypic pacing. Their intelligence and curiosity means environmental enrichment can meaningfully improve welfare. Welfare standards for emu farming are underdeveloped relative to mainstream poultry species despite their cognitive complexity.