AP
Alpha-Gal-Ostrich Meat
In this photo taken with a smartphone, Alpha Roost Farms owner W.D. King holds a young ostrich in Danville, Ky., on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026.
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U.S. ostrich farmers say they’re finding new customers who developed a red meat allergy triggered by tick bites. Ostrich meat is red when raw and has a taste similar to beef. Kentucky farmer Brent Williams was diagnosed about seven years ago with alpha-gal syndrome. So he was eager to get into the ostrich business when farmer W.D. King proposed raising them on his central Kentucky farm. King and other farmers say they are seeing interest from alpha-gal sufferers who crave red meat. There are about 10 to 15 ostrich farms in the U.S. dedicated to raising the African native birds.
