Dairy goats face distinct welfare challenges from horn management to kidding practices, requiring species-specific management approaches.
Dairy goat welfare mirrors many dairy cow welfare challenges but in a smaller, more agile, and socially complex animal. Goats are often underestimated in their intelligence and social needs. The maternal bond disruption at kidding, disbudding pain, and barren housing common in intensive goat dairy represent preventable welfare harms. Goats kept in enriched environments with appropriate social groups show markedly better behavioral welfare.