In commercial dairy goat farming, kids are typically separated from their mothers within hours of birth, causing acute distress for both the doe and the newborn.
The routine separation of dairy goat kids from their mothers at birth is one of the most welfare-compromising practices in the industry. Both animals experience acute distress: does call persistently for missing kids, and kids show elevated cortisol and distress vocalizations. While early separation is driven by production efficiency and disease control concerns, alternatives including delayed separation, partial dam rearing, or allowing suckling with surplus milk exist and are practiced on high-welfare farms. Consumer demand for higher welfare dairy products can incentivize these transitions.