The removal of dairy goat kids from their dams shortly after birth causes maternal and neonatal separation distress requiring welfare-conscious management approaches.
Separation of dairy goat does from their kids causes acute distress for both animals. Vocalisation indicating separation distress is prolonged and intense. Early separation before bonding is complete reduces but does not eliminate distress. Extended contact periods before separation, or provision of surrogate social companionship after separation, reduce welfare costs. Male kids in dairy goat systems are frequently killed at birth or soon after as they have no milk production value; humane killing at birth is preferable to extended suffering. Higher-welfare approaches include selling males for meat production.