Goat dairy farming has grown rapidly as consumer interest in goat milk and cheese increases. Welfare standards in this sector vary considerably from intensive to pasture-based systems.
Disbudding — burning off horn buds in young kids — is performed without adequate pain relief in most dairy goat operations, causing significant acute pain and likely chronic pain. Male kid disposal is a fundamental welfare problem in all dairy systems. Intensive confinement prevents natural social and foraging behaviors. Mastitis is common in high-yielding dairy goats kept in poor conditions. Pasture access and social stability significantly improve goat welfare.