Kid management in dairy goat systems, including separation practices, colostrum feeding, and housing, significantly affects welfare outcomes for both kids and dams in this growing specialty dairy sector.
Dairy goat kid welfare parallels dairy calf welfare challenges but receives less regulatory and public attention. Early separation causes acute stress in dams and kids. Colostrum management failures leave kids immunocompromised. Disbudding without analgesia causes unnecessary pain. The practices are driven by production efficiency but alternatives including delayed separation, better pain management, and group rearing with ad libitum milk access can improve welfare with modest management investment. The development of the goat dairy market provides an opportunity to establish higher welfare standards from the outset rather than reforming established intensive practices.