The Asian Pacific Federation’s Working Group 3 involves researchers working on “Ratites” (emus, ostriches, rheas, cassowaries and kiwis).

Since the 3rd International Ratite Science Symposium that was held in Madrid (Spain) in 2005, the activity of theWorking Group on Ratites gained momentum that culminated in a 3-day scientific conference, the 4th InternationalRatite Science Symposium that was held in 2008 during the 23rd World’s Poultry Congress in Brisbane, Australia. Prior to that, a one-day Clean-Green-Ethical Ratite Farming Symposium was also held at the University of Western Australia, hosted by the UWA Institute of Agriculture.

However, as the ratite industries worldwide have shrunk considerably, and support for ratite research has reduced, the activity of the Group slowed down and the European Federation of WPSA closed its Ratite Working Group 13. Even so, an interest in Ostrich farming continues inEurope with the most significant breeding stock thought to be held in Germany. In Germany, during the annual meeting of the German WPSA branch a review on ostrich farming was presented by Mr. Kistner and a visit to his Mhou farm was included in the programme. A great need for support from poultry scientists to improve management and acceptance of ostrich farming was expressed.

Given that the majority of the ratite research activity, however, is concentrated in the Southern Hemisphere the Ratite Group registered with the Asia PacificFederation (APF) of WPSA as its new Working Group 3 (WG3). The membership of the WG3 of APF WPSA consists a good number of ratite researchers and veterinary practitioners from the North and South Americas,Europe, Africa, Central and East Asia, Australia and New Zealand who remained active and have continued their research in reproduction, genetics, incubation, nutrition, growth and development, health and welfare, and conservation of ratites. The ratite researchers continue to publish in scientific journals and conference proceedings.  Two Ratite Symposiums were held at the 10th Asia Pacific Poultry Conference in Jeju, Korea, in October 2014, and in Stellenbosch, South Africa, July 2016, respectively.  Contributions to the International Conference on the Assessment of Animal Welfare at Farm and Group level were also made in 2017 and 2021, and at the South African Society for Animal Science (SASAS) Congresses. This was followed by a Working Group session at the 26^th World’s Poultry Congress in Paris, France, held in 2022, and contributions at the 8th All Africa Conference on Animal Agriculture in Gabarone, Botswana, September 2023.  More recently there was an Ostrich Congress held in April 2024 in Hungary and numerous ratite contributions were also given at the 54^th Annual SASAS Congress in East London, South Africa in July 2024