Ostrich: Health, Temperament, Care & Costs

Ostriches are the largest living birds, with adults commonly reaching about 7 to 9 feet tall and roughly 220 to 350 pounds. They are powerful, fast-moving ratites rather than typical companion birds, and they need far more space, stronger fencing, and more specialized handling than most pet parents expect. In the United States, local and state rules may also affect whether you can legally keep one, so it is important to check regulations before making plans.

Temperament varies with age, sex, breeding status, and handling history. Some birds become calm around familiar caregivers, but ostriches are not cuddly pets and can be unpredictable, especially when startled or during breeding season. A forward kick can cause severe injury, so routine care should be built around low-stress handling, secure facilities, and a relationship with your vet that includes exotic or ratite experience.

For many households, an ostrich is not a practical companion animal. They do best in settings that can provide outdoor acreage, species-appropriate social management, safe transport options, and a realistic long-term budget for feed, fencing, and veterinary care. If you are considering one, talk with your vet early about whether your setup can safely meet the bird's physical and behavioral needs.

Ostriches can develop health problems related to nutrition, growth rate, trauma, parasites, and gastrointestinal disease. In young birds, overly rapid growth and diet imbalances can contribute to angular limb deformities and other leg problems. Ratite references also note that gastrointestinal surgery for foreign bodies and impactions is relatively common, which highlights how important safe housing and careful feeding are.

Foot and leg injuries are a major concern because these birds are heavy, athletic, and prone to trauma from slipping, poor footing, fence accidents, or panic. Skin wounds, fractures, and soft tissue injuries can become serious quickly. During restraint or anesthesia, ostriches also need experienced veterinary handling because their size and anatomy increase the risk of breathing compromise, nerve injury, and recovery complications.

Preventive flock medicine matters too. Merck Veterinary Manual lists vaccination protocols used in some ostrich operations for ratite pox, anthrax in risk areas, and clostridial disease, but the right plan depends on geography, local disease pressure, and how the bird is housed. Parasite control, fecal testing, and routine physical exams should be individualized with your vet rather than copied from poultry or backyard chicken schedules.

Call your vet promptly if your ostrich shows reduced appetite, weight loss, limping, swelling of a leg or foot, weakness, diarrhea, abnormal droppings, labored breathing, depression, or signs of abdominal discomfort. Because ostriches can hide illness until they are quite sick, subtle behavior changes deserve attention.

Keeping an ostrich in the U.S. usually costs much more than caring for a typical pet bird. The biggest ongoing expenses are secure fencing, shelter, land, feed, transport, and access to an experienced exotic or farm-animal veterinarian. USDA livestock forage data list a 2025 monthly feed cost payment rate for ostriches of about $15 to $26 per head depending on the table year and update, which is useful as a baseline for forage-related costs, but real-world feeding costs are often higher once you add formulated ratite feed, waste, supplements, and seasonal changes.

A realistic annual cost range for one adult ostrich often lands around $1,500 to $4,000 for routine care in a well-established setup, not including land purchase, major fencing projects, permits, or emergency treatment. Feed commonly runs about $40 to $150 per month per adult in many U.S. settings, while hoof and foot-related evaluations, fecal testing, exams, and transport can add several hundred dollars per year. If you need to build or upgrade housing, perimeter fencing can become the largest single startup expense.

Veterinary costs are highly variable because many clinics do not see ratites routinely. A wellness exam may cost about $100 to $250, fecal testing about $35 to $90, bloodwork roughly $120 to $300, sedation or field-call fees can add $150 to $500 or more, and emergency imaging, wound care, or surgery can quickly reach $800 to several thousand dollars. Before bringing home an ostrich, ask your vet whether they can provide routine and urgent care, and what transport plan makes sense if the bird becomes ill.

Ostriches need a diet designed for ratites, not a generic poultry ration. Merck Veterinary Manual notes that ratites do not need the high-energy diets used for many flighted birds and that nutritional needs change substantially with age. Juveniles need much more protein and calcium than adults, while breeding birds need higher calcium support than maintenance adults.

Current Merck ratite nutrition guidance lists approximate crude protein targets of 25% for pre-starter chicks, 21.5% for starter diets, 17% for grower diets, 13.5% for finisher diets, and about 8% for mature maintenance birds. Calcium targets also shift with life stage, with maintenance adults around 0.9% to 1.0% calcium and breeding birds around 2.0% to 2.5%. High-quality grass or grazing can be used as a supplement for ostriches, but it should not replace a balanced formulated ration.

Poor nutrition can contribute to weak growth, obesity, reproductive problems, and leg disease. Fast growth is not always healthy growth in ratites, and Merck specifically warns that excessively rapid growth can lead to angular deformities of the legs. Fresh water should be available at all times, and any diet change should be gradual.

Because feeding plans vary by age, breeding status, climate, and access to pasture, your vet or a qualified ratite nutrition professional should help you build the ration. That is especially important for chicks, breeding hens, and birds recovering from illness.

Ostriches are naturally active, long-striding birds that need room to walk, trot, and run safely every day. Small pens are not appropriate for long-term housing. Limited space can increase stress, pacing, fence trauma, and musculoskeletal strain, especially in young growing birds.

Exercise should come from safe turnout and thoughtful enclosure design rather than forced handling. Secure perimeter fencing, good traction, dry footing, shade, and visual barriers can reduce panic injuries. Avoid clutter, sharp edges, and narrow spaces where a bird can collide, twist a leg, or trap a foot.

Mental and social management matter too. Some ostriches do better with compatible conspecifics, while others need careful separation during breeding season or if aggression develops. Because these birds can become dangerous when frightened or territorial, enrichment should focus on safe foraging opportunities, predictable routines, and low-stress husbandry rather than close-contact play.

If your ostrich becomes less active, starts sitting more, or resists walking, contact your vet. Reduced movement can be an early sign of pain, foot disease, injury, or systemic illness.

Preventive care for an ostrich starts with environment and handling. Safe fencing, dry footing, weather protection, clean water, species-appropriate nutrition, and low-stress movement through the enclosure prevent many of the injuries and husbandry-related illnesses seen in ratites. Because an ostrich kick can seriously injure people, routine care plans should prioritize trained handling and minimal restraint.

Schedule regular wellness visits with your vet, even if the bird seems healthy. Preventive visits may include a physical exam, body condition review, fecal testing, parasite planning, and bloodwork when indicated. Merck also describes ostrich vaccination protocols used in some settings for ratite pox, anthrax, and clostridial disease, but these are not one-size-fits-all recommendations and should be tailored to your region and risk profile.

Quarantine new arrivals, monitor droppings and appetite daily, and keep written records of weight, breeding activity, injuries, and treatments. Early changes are often subtle in large birds. A bird that is quieter than usual, eating less, or moving differently may need prompt veterinary attention.

It is also wise to have an emergency plan before you need one. Ask your vet who can see ratites after hours, how transport would work, and whether on-farm sedation or field care is available in your area.