Goats are curious, agile, and highly social animals whose welfare in intensive dairy and meat production is frequently compromised by barren environments and inadequate social management.
Goat welfare in intensive systems suffers from a fundamental mismatch between their behavioral needs and typical production environments. Zero-grazing systems deny climbing, browsing, and exploration — behaviors goats are strongly motivated to perform. Barren indoor pens cause boredom and redirected behaviors including excessive vocalization and aggression. Social regrouping causes acute stress and injuries. Respiratory disease in poorly ventilated housing causes chronic suffering. Foot problems — often undertreated — cause lameness and pain. Extensive and semi-extensive systems, where goats can browse, climb, and engage with varied terrain, achieve substantially better welfare outcomes. Small-scale goat farming with appropriate space and enrichment represents best practice, though intensive dairy goat production continues to expand globally.