Ostrich EDUCATION

If you're looking for a unique livestock option, these large, flightless birds might be the answer.

- JESSICA JAINCHILL

When deciding which poultry you want to add to your farm, ostriches probably aren’t the first bird breed that appears on your list. Generally, we’re used to seeing these 8-foot-tall birds in zoos or safari pictures. But for many farmers across the country, this bird is a way for them to provide meat for their families and raise products that can bring in a steady stream of income.

BIRDY BENEFITS

Many people are bringing ostriches onto the homestead for the broad variety of products they produce — especially ostrich meat, which is currently experiencing an unusually high demand. Boyd Clark, vice president of the American Ostrich Association (www.ostriches. org), explains that this is because ostriches — according to the American Diabetes Association — are a healthy red meat and a good iron source for people who are allergic beef. Because ostriches take up a niche market, farmers can sell the meat at a hefty price.

“We have distributors who buy and sell ostrich to restaurants,” Boyd says. “When selling wholesale, the lower end cuts are $10 to $12 dollars per pound, and the upper end cuts go for over $20 per pound.”

In addition to its meat, the ostrich’s eggs are highly prized. “When they lay eggs that are infertile or aren’t going to hatch, they can be drilled and sold to arts and crafts people for $20 to $25 each,” Boyd says. In addition to hollow eggs, people like to buy ostrich eggs for eating. Customers are willing to pay up to $60 for the chance to eat an egg that has the same volume as 24 chicken eggs and nearly spills out of the frying pan when cooked.