Ostriches are farmed commercially for their meat, leather, feathers, eggs, and oil. Nearly every part of the bird has economic value, which is why ostrich farming has expanded well beyond southern Africa into parts of Europe, North America, and the Middle East. Here’s how each product is used.
Meat: A Lean Red Meat Alternative
Ostrich meat looks and tastes like beef but carries a significantly different nutritional profile. Per 100 grams, raw ostrich contains just 5.7 grams of total fat compared to 15.8 grams in lean ground beef. The saturated fat gap is even more striking: 1.97 grams for ostrich versus 7.3 grams for beef. After cooking, the difference narrows somewhat (8.1 grams total fat for ostrich, 9.5 for beef), but ostrich still comes out leaner.
Ostrich also delivers more iron than both beef and chicken. Cooked ostrich provides about 5.9 milligrams of iron per 100 grams, compared to roughly 4.1 milligrams for cooked extra-lean beef and well under 1 milligram for chicken. Cholesterol levels, on the other hand, are roughly the same across ostrich, beef, and chicken, so there’s no particular advantage there. The combination of low fat and high iron has made ostrich popular with athletes and people managing heart health, and it’s sold as steaks, burgers, and ground meat in specialty grocery stores and online retailers.
Leather: The Luxury Market’s Signature Texture
Ostrich leather is one of the most recognizable exotic leathers in the world, thanks to the raised bumps left by feather follicles after the feathers are removed. These quill marks are evenly distributed across the hide, creating a texture you can both see and feel. Each hide has a slightly different pattern, which adds to the appeal for luxury brands that prize uniqueness.
Structurally, the leather is made of a dense network of collagen fibers that make it both strong and flexible. It’s difficult to tear yet supple enough to work into handbags, wallets, boots, belts, and watch straps. A single ostrich hide can sell for several hundred dollars, and finished products from high-end fashion houses regularly reach into the thousands. The leather has been a symbol of status in fashion for over a century and remains a staple in the luxury goods market today.
Feathers: From Fashion to Cleaning
Ostrich feathers have been prized in fashion since at least the late 1800s, when they adorned elaborate hats and gowns. The early 20th-century designer Paul Poiret famously used dyed, stripped, and clipped ostrich feathers for millinery creations. Today, you’ll still see ostrich plumes on haute couture runways, in burlesque and carnival costumes, and as decorative accents in bridal wear and interior design.
Outside of fashion, ostrich feathers have a surprisingly practical industrial role. Their long barbs (the strand-like branches running off the central shaft) contain millions of fine, wispy filaments that trap and hold dust particles instead of just pushing them around. They also leave no electrostatic charge on surfaces, which means metal, glass, and plastic stay cleaner longer after dusting. This makes ostrich feather dusters a go-to tool in electronics manufacturing, automotive finishing, and museum conservation, anywhere static or residual dust would cause problems.
Eggs: Food and Art
A single ostrich egg is roughly equivalent to 24 chicken eggs in volume, making it a novelty food item served at specialty restaurants and farm-stay experiences. The taste is similar to a chicken egg but milder, and one egg can make a scramble or omelet for a group. The shells are enormously thick and sturdy, which is why they’ve been repurposed as art material for thousands of years.
Archaeologists have found decorated ostrich eggshell fragments in South Africa dating back 55,000 to 65,000 years, making them among the oldest examples of human artistic expression ever discovered. Those ancient shells were likely used as water containers by hunter-gatherers, with etched designs possibly serving as ownership marks. The San people of the Kalahari still use ostrich eggshells to store water today. In the modern craft world, artists carve, etch, and paint intact ostrich eggshells into elaborate decorative pieces, taking advantage of the shell’s thickness and smooth surface.
Oil: Skincare and Nutritional Uses
Fat rendered from ostriches produces an oil rich in unsaturated fatty acids. Its composition includes about 38.5% oleic acid (an omega-9 fat), 13% linoleic acid (omega-6), and nearly 7.3% palmitoleic acid (omega-7), a fatty acid linked to improved cholesterol balance and insulin sensitivity. The oil is used in cosmetic products like moisturizers, lip balms, and hair treatments, where its fatty acid profile helps it absorb easily into skin without feeling greasy.
Researchers have also studied ostrich oil as a potential ingredient in infant nutrition formulas because its fatty acid profile shares some similarities with human breast milk, though it differs in certain key fats. Its primary commercial application remains in the skincare and wellness supplement space, where it’s marketed alongside other animal-derived oils like emu oil.
Tourism and Entertainment
Ostrich farms in South Africa, particularly around the town of Oudtshoorn, have long attracted tourists who come to watch the birds, feed them, and learn about farming operations. Some farms historically offered ostrich riding as an attraction, but this practice has come under increasing scrutiny. Animal welfare organizations have pointed out that the ostrich skeleton is not designed to support a human’s weight, and forcing birds to carry riders can cause them physical harm. Riders also face real danger, since ostriches are powerful, unpredictable animals that can kick hard enough to cause serious injury.
Several travel companies have stopped promoting ostrich rides, and the trend in ostrich tourism is shifting toward observation-based experiences. Visitors can still interact with the birds at arm’s length, watch egg hatching, and tour leather and feather processing facilities.