Goat dairy farming is growing globally to meet demand for goat milk, cheese, and yoghurt, yet welfare standards for goats often lag behind those for cattle and sheep despite similar welfare needs and challenges.
Goat welfare in dairy systems mirrors many cattle dairy welfare challenges — maternal-infant separation, metabolic demands of high yield, lameness, and inadequate enrichment — but receives less research attention and weaker regulatory coverage. Disbudding without pain relief is a particular concern: the procedure causes acute pain and post-operative discomfort that analgesic protocols can substantially reduce but do not eliminate. The growing consumer market for artisan goat dairy products provides an opportunity to build welfare requirements into premium pricing, but this requires welfare labelling infrastructure that is only beginning to develop. Farmed goats benefit significantly from environments that allow browsing, climbing, and social engagement.