Dairy goats are farmed worldwide for milk, cheese, and other products. Their welfare involves a complex set of social, nutritional, and management challenges, with the neonatal separation question being particularly significant.
Dairy goat welfare mirrors and in some ways exceeds the complexity of dairy cow welfare. The mother-offspring bond in goats is strong and immediate separation causes measurable distress in both dam and kid. Extended suckling or dam-rearing systems that allow bonding while maintaining milk production represent an emerging welfare solution. Socially, goats thrive in stable groups with adequate space, access to varied browse, and opportunities to climb and explore. High-density indoor systems frustrate these motivations and increase the incidence of redirected behaviors and agonistic interactions. The growth of artisanal and organic dairy goat farming has created market space for higher-welfare production, but the majority of global goat dairy production remains intensive.