Dairy goat farming is expanding rapidly but welfare standards lag behind dairy cattle in many countries. Understanding common welfare issues enables better consumer and policy choices.
Disbudding is one of the most painful procedures in goat husbandry, but is widely performed without proper pain relief, causing acute and post-operative pain lasting several days. Intensive housing limits natural behaviours including climbing, browsing, and complex social interaction. Chronic lameness is under-treated in goat herds. As the dairy goat industry intensifies to meet growing demand for goat milk products, welfare risks increase without corresponding improvement in standards and enforcement.