Dairy and meat goats are farmed in large numbers globally but receive less regulatory protection and research attention than cattle, pigs, and poultry. Understanding key welfare issues helps improve standards for this intelligent species.
Goats receive less welfare research and regulatory attention than larger farmed species despite being sentient animals with complex social and behavioural needs. Key welfare issues include inadequate pain relief during disbudding, isolation housing that prevents social interaction, internal parasite burdens causing chronic ill health, and kidding complications. Goats have strong motivation to climb and explore — housing that denies these behaviours increases stereotypy and stress. The FAO estimates that improving goat welfare in developing world production systems could simultaneously improve both animal welfare and smallholder livelihoods.