Welcome to the Website of the American Ostrich Association

Our goal is to establish the standards for the highest quality American Ostrich products to ensure the long term viability of the industry.

What We Do

First and foremost, we have ostriches! We raise them, we care for them, we show them off and we market them. One of the most unique animals in the world, the ostrich can fascinate the newcomer, educate the student, hypnotise the observer, inspire an artist, stock the restaurant, and provide income for the farmer.

We, the American Ostrich Association, hope to educate you, provide answers to questions, discuss the unique characteristics of the Ostrich, and in general inform you about this great big bird and how it is becoming the alternative livestock for the American Farmer.

The ostrich industry is not only surviving in this country, but growing as a domestic alternative livestock for the American farmer. The days of the unrealistic breeder market are gone and we have developed into a basic agricultural commodity. Some of the more recent accomplishments of our industry are:

• We (ratites) have been recognized by the USDA and were included for the first time in the 2002 Ag Census.
• We are recognized by the NPIP (National Poultry Improvement Plan) under Subpart F
• The Farm Bureau recognizes ratite as a “commodity” and certainly has representatives from the ostrich and emu industry across the country included in their commodity meetings and reporting.
• The USDA now includes ratite under the Mandatory Inspection Regulations at slaughter facilities

More Information

The American Ostrich Association is here for the members - we want you to have the information you need, the representation you want, and the success you deserve. We welcome new members at any time, and hope you'll give us feedback with your ideas and suggestions. Our established members may also, at any time, comment or suggest about the organization, the website, or any aspect of ostriches as they feel necessary.