Goats are increasingly popular dairy and meat animals globally, but their welfare needs are often poorly understood and inadequately addressed in commercial systems.
Goats are highly intelligent, behaviorally complex animals whose welfare needs have historically been less well-studied than those of cattle, pigs, and sheep. The assumption that their small size means small welfare requirements is incorrect: goats are cognitively sophisticated and suffer from barren environments, social instability, and painful husbandry procedures without analgesia. Improving goat welfare requires both research investment and practical standard-setting aligned with their genuine needs.