Goats are browser-foragers with strong motivational drives to explore and climb, requiring environments that accommodate their behavioral needs to achieve good welfare.
Goat welfare is often underestimated because goats are sometimes incorrectly perceived as adaptable to poor conditions. The behavioral evidence contradicts this: goats deprived of browsing, climbing, and social stability show clear indicators of compromised welfare. Good goat welfare requires environments that provide browsing material or enrichment objects at appropriate heights, elevated resting and climbing platforms, stable social groups, and appropriate indoor-outdoor access. The dairy goat industry has grown significantly in recent years as consumer demand for goat milk products has increased, bringing welfare obligations that require attention to these species-specific needs.