Goats are highly intelligent, social, and curious animals farmed for meat, milk, and fibre in diverse systems worldwide. Their welfare needs include social companionship, climbing opportunities, and protection from respiratory disease.
Goat welfare in farming contexts is often overlooked relative to cattle, pigs, and poultry, despite their cognitive complexity and clear welfare needs. Key welfare challenges include inadequate housing ventilation causing endemic respiratory disease, inadequate space preventing natural climbing and exploratory behaviour, social disruption through frequent regrouping, and painful procedures including disbudding performed without pain relief. Goats are particularly sensitive to weather — wet and cold conditions without adequate shelter cause rapid hypothermia in young kids and nutritional stress in adults. Welfare-positive goat management incorporates environmental enrichment including raised platforms, adequate social grouping stability, and routine pain relief for necessary procedures.