Dairy sheep and goat farming is expanding globally to meet demand for specialty cheeses and alternative milks. Welfare issues including kid and lamb separation, housing, and metabolic demands are broadly analogous to dairy cattle concerns.
Dairy small ruminant welfare mirrors dairy cattle welfare concerns at smaller scale. The separation of kids and lambs from their mothers causes acute distress measurable in both behavioral and physiological indicators. The metabolic demands of high milk production create similar disease risks to dairy cattle. However, the smaller scale of many dairy sheep and goat operations allows more individual attention and welfare monitoring. Consumer demand for artisan dairy products from sheep and goats has created a premium market that can support higher welfare production costs. Welfare certifications for sheep and goat dairy are less developed than for cattle dairy.