Ostrich

Commercial ostrich farming is generally organised around a three-product model — meat, leather, and feathers — with the relative economic weight of each varying by market and region. Breeding stock is typically managed in pairs or trios, and birds are reared to slaughter age over a period of many months.

Meat production

Birds reared for lean, low-fat red meat marketed as a specialty product in many countries.

Leather production

Hides processed into distinctive, durable leather used in fashion and accessory goods.

Feather production

Feathers harvested for decorative, fashion, and industrial (dusting) uses.

Ostrich diets combine formulated pelleted rations with pasture or cut forage such as lucerne (alfalfa), plus grit to support gizzard-based digestion. Ration composition shifts with growth stage, from higher-protein starter diets for chicks to maintenance and breeder rations for adults.

Ostrich husbandry requires handling facilities and fencing suited to a large, strong, and potentially defensive bird, alongside appropriate stocking density, shelter from extreme weather, and routine disease prevention.

Ostrich farming can make productive use of arid and semi-arid land less suited to cropping, and the species’ tolerance of heat and drought supports its role as a specialty livestock enterprise in regions with limited water and rainfall.