Goat meat is the most widely consumed red meat globally, yet welfare standards are inconsistently applied. Free-range and pasture-raised goat production offers better welfare outcomes than intensive confinement.
Goat welfare receives far less attention than cattle, pig, or poultry welfare despite the enormous number of goats farmed worldwide. In smallholder systems, goats may have reasonable welfare with access to pasture and social groups, or they may experience serious neglect from resource-limited owners with little veterinary access. In intensive systems, goats are particularly poorly served because their behavioral needs for exploration, climbing, and complex social interaction are almost entirely frustrated by confinement. The welfare of goats during transport and slaughter is also a significant concern, particularly in religious sacrifice contexts during Eid al-Adha when millions of goats are slaughtered with variable welfare standards.