Goats are among the most widely farmed animals in the world, with billions kept in smallholder systems where welfare varies enormously.
Goat welfare in smallholder systems ranges from excellent to severely compromised. Common welfare problems include tethering that prevents social interaction, overloaded grazing leading to nutritional deficiency, and inadequate veterinary care for treatable conditions like worms and footrot. Goats are stoic about pain, making welfare assessment by owners difficult without training. Kid welfare during dairy production is a significant concern.