Dairy goat production shares welfare challenges with dairy cattle, including disbudding of kids, early separation, and reproductive management, but receives less regulatory attention.
Dairy goats receive less welfare research attention than cattle or pigs, yet the welfare challenges they face are significant. Disbudding causes acute pain that, while mitigated by anaesthesia when the procedure is performed by a vet, is commonly performed by farmers without appropriate pain management. Early kid separation causes distress to both dam and offspring. As intelligent, social animals, goats require environmental enrichment and social contact that are not always provided in intensive systems. The growing popularity of goat dairy products creates an opportunity to drive welfare improvements through consumer and retailer pressure.