Goats are curious, active, and highly social animals whose welfare in farming systems is often inadequate. Understanding their behavioral needs informs better goat husbandry.
Goat welfare receives significantly less regulatory and certification attention than other farmed species despite goats being highly sentient animals with complex behavioral needs. Their strong drive to explore, climb, and socially interact is often frustrated by barren housing systems. Disbudding of kids — removing horn buds to prevent adult horn growth — is routinely performed without adequate anesthesia or analgesia despite causing clear pain responses. Dairy goats producing milk at high rates face nutritional and physical demands that require careful management to avoid metabolic disease. The welfare gap between what goats need and what most farming systems provide deserves more attention from both welfare organizations and consumers.