Goat meat production occurs across a range of systems from extensive extensive pastoralism to intensive housing, with welfare standards varying widely.
Goat meat welfare encompasses the management of animals from birth through to slaughter. Male kids from dairy goat herds represent a specific welfare challenge: raising them for meat is welfare-positive compared to early euthanasia, but requires appropriate management. Extensive pastoral systems in which goats range widely provide better behavioral welfare than intensive housing but may involve less disease monitoring. Goat transport to abattoir causes significant stress through mixing unfamiliar animals, novel environments, and handling. Pre-slaughter handling at abattoir including restraint and stunning must account for goat behavioral responses to fear. The UK goat meat sector is relatively small but growing, creating opportunities to establish high welfare standards from the outset.