Goats farmed for meat (chevon) and fiber (cashmere, mohair, angora) face welfare challenges distinct from dairy goats, with specific concerns around transport, slaughter, and shearing practices.
Meat and fiber goat welfare has received less systematic attention than dairy or companion animal welfare, yet the scale of production is enormous and welfare risks are significant. Rough shearing practices in mohair production — documented in undercover investigations — cause unnecessary pain and injury from casual handling of animals who have behavioral fear responses similar to other livestock. Long-distance live export for slaughter at religious festivals causes documented transport suffering comparable to the most documented livestock transport welfare failures. The welfare of goats in extensive rangeland systems depends heavily on stockmanship quality — animals checked infrequently may go extended periods with injuries, disease, or nutritional inadequacy that causes prolonged suffering. Building welfare standards into fiber and meat goat supply chains requires the same tools used for other livestock: certification, auditing, and consumer pressure.