Goats are browsers, not grazers, preferring shrubs and trees over grass. Providing appropriate forage diversity in goat pasture systems meets behavioral needs and improves welfare and health outcomes.
Goats forced to graze grass-only pastures are placed in an environment that doesn't match their evolved feeding behavior. The preference for browse over grazing is strong enough that goats will select browse even when grass is freely available. Denying this behavioral drive creates a welfare deficit analogous to denying pigs rooting substrate. Pasture enrichment with shrubs and browse species addresses the behavioral need while providing nutritional and health benefits through anti-parasitic secondary compounds. Silvopastoral systems that integrate trees into goat grazing systems represent welfare-optimal management.