Dairy goats are farmed in increasingly intensive systems globally. Understanding the specific welfare needs of goats helps assess whether these systems adequately meet their requirements.
Intensive dairy goat farming raises welfare concerns analogous to intensive dairy cattle production, but with less regulatory oversight in most jurisdictions. Goats kept in zero-grazing systems cannot express climbing, foraging, and ranging behaviours they are strongly motivated to perform. Enriched housing with raised platforms, outdoor access, and stable social groups substantially improves goat welfare in commercial settings.