Painful Procedures, Transport, and End-of-Life Management

The capacity of goats to adjust to handling and husbandry in a wide variety of production systems, even under extreme climatic conditions, has made these animals a valuable resource in ancient and contemporary human societies. Every year, millions of goats worldwide are subjected to routine husbandry practices (injections, ear-tagging, hoof trimming, castration, disbudding, or dehorning), transport (land, sea, and air), and slaughter (for human consumption, euthanasia, and population control). Some of these practices are carried out because they have been shown to be effective in preserving animal health and welfare, or improving production performance and ensuring the quality or safety of goat milk and meat. However, even under good conditions, these practices can cause a stress response in the animals, and states of pain, fear, anxiety, and frustration. At the same time, there is a growing public concern for improving the conditions under which farm animals are raised, transported, and slaughtered. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to describe the current scientific evidence on these practices and possible strategies to optimise, refine, and/or replace them to improve and preserve goat welfare.