Emu

Emu is the second-largest living bird by height (Dromaius novaehollandiae), native to Australia, farmed for its meat, oil, leather and feathers. Commercial emu farming developed in Australia in the twentieth century and later spread to the United States and other countries, particularly from the 1980s onward, as producers marketed emu oil for use in cosmetics and topical health products alongside the bird's lean meat and durable leather. Farmed emus are raised in fenced paddocks rather than the free-ranging conditions of wild populations, and the industry remains smaller and more specialized than most conventional poultry farming. Emu farming has experienced boom and bust cycles tied to fluctuating demand for emu oil and novelty meat products since its commercial expansion began.