Commercial ostrich farming began in South Africa more than 150 years ago and is now practiced in Israel and the United Sates as well. Currently there are 40,000 to 60,000 birds in the U.S. Some breeders project that in order to penetrate the existing meat and hide markets, 250,000 breeding pairs would be required, and that a slaughterhouse would have to handle 200,000 ostriches annually to operate economically.
