Emus are farmed for oil, meat, and feathers in Australia and North America, with welfare considerations around their complex social and ranging needs.
Farmed emus face welfare challenges from the mismatch between their nomadic ranging instincts and the limited space of commercial farms. Confined emus may show repetitive pacing and fence-testing behaviors indicating frustration. Social housing and enriched paddocks with varied terrain reduce but do not eliminate these welfare concerns. Consumer awareness of emu farming welfare is very low compared to other farmed species.