Goats are browsers rather than grazers with a strong motivation to seek variety and height in their diet that intensive housing systems commonly frustrate.
Goat welfare in intensive systems is compromised by the fundamental mismatch between goat browsing motivation and the restricted, monotonous environments that commercial goat farming commonly provides. Unlike sheep, which are grazers adapted to consuming grass at ground level, goats are browsers whose natural foraging involves selecting from diverse plant species at varying heights, often in woodland and scrub habitats. The frustration of browsing motivation in intensive indoor systems contributes to the exploratory and sometimes destructive behaviour that farmers find challenging, and which reflects unmet needs rather than inherent goat temperament. Welfare improvement for goats in intensive systems requires environmental complexity including browse branches, elevated platforms, varied substrates, and ideally outdoor access to areas with woody vegetation.