Dairy goat farming has expanded rapidly in recent decades as demand for goat milk and cheese has grown. Understanding goat-specific welfare needs helps distinguish high and low welfare production systems.
Dairy goat welfare problems share some features with dairy cow welfare but have species-specific dimensions. The separation of kids from mothers at birth causes visible distress in both animals - does vocalize persistently for hours and show behavioral changes. Disbudding without adequate anaesthesia and analgesia causes acute pain - the procedure is painful whether or not it is performed within the legal timeframe. Goats' preference for elevated positions and their inquisitive nature means that bare, flat housing causes chronic frustration. Their social sensitivity means that frequent group changes - common in commercial management - cause repeated social stress. The combination of high milk yields, indoor housing and multiple stressors creates conditions where welfare is chronically compromised in many commercial dairy goat operations.