Ostrich Farm Tours

About Ostrich Farm Tours

Meet the world's biggest bird when you visit South Africa on one of these ethical ostrich tours. Just five kilometres outside the Karoo town of Oudtshoorn, visitors and locals will have the opportunity to meet and interact with the beautiful giants on Berluda Farm. (Because this is a responsible initiative, visitors are not permitted to ride or sit on the birds).

Home to around 25 000 ostriches, Berluda is one of the biggest ostrich farms in the country. Tours are led by guides that have keen insights into the animals, their behaviour, their physiology, and how they contribute to local arts, crafts and industry. Ostriches are particularly valuable because they provide lean and tasty meat; feathers that can be used for clothing, dusters and ornaments; eggs that can be eaten or decorated; and exquisite leather that is perfect for bags, shoes, wallets, and furniture.

Visitors will also be able to visit the hatchery, where about 6 000 chicks are hatched every week and are raised by breeding pairs. Seeing these fluffy little chicks being so lovingly cared for by the adults is so special, especially for the little ones. Then, a trip to the feeding plant will reveal the mammoth amounts of feed that are required to care for all of these birds and to keep them healthy and strong. This amounts to about 60 tons of feed every day!

Having the opportunity to visit a working ostrich farm is a memorable experience and a must for those spending some time in Oudtshoorn. The non-commercial private farm is owned and run by the Schoeman family, who have the well-being of the ostriches at heart.

Oudtshoorn is the famous home of the Cango Caves, and is surrounded by the breath-taking Swartberg and Outeniqua mountain ranges. It is part of the Klein Karoo in the Western Cape; just an hour from the Garden Route and around five hours' drive from Cape Town.