Dairy goat welfare is increasingly scrutinised, with kid removal practices and housing conditions central to welfare improvement discussions.
Dairy goat welfare mirrors dairy cattle in several key aspects — maternal separation causes distress in both dams and kids. Goats also have specific requirements not shared with cattle: they are natural browsers requiring elevated feeding and vertical exploration opportunities. Conventional housed systems designed for cattle often fail to accommodate goat behavioural needs. Commercial dairy goat production is expanding rapidly, creating both urgency and opportunity for welfare standard development before the sector becomes fully established.