Dairy goat farming is growing globally as consumer demand for goat milk products increases, bringing welfare challenges around housing, disbudding, and kid separation to wider attention.
Dairy goat welfare parallels dairy cattle welfare in many respects, with kid separation, disbudding, and intensive housing presenting the primary challenges. Goats are curious, active animals that suffer in barren environments. The pain of disbudding is increasingly recognised, with pain relief becoming standard in welfare-conscious systems. Extended suckling systems, where kids remain with their mothers for longer periods, improve both kid and dam welfare but require management adaptations. Outdoor access allows goats to express natural browsing and climbing behaviour.