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Review Article

Behavioural Strategies to Enhance Welfare and Productivity of Stall-fed Goats

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Charu Singh — M V Sc Scholar, Department of Livestock Production Management, DUVASU Mathura, India
Chandan Kumar — Associate Professor, Department of Livestock Production Management , DUVASU Mathura, India
Srashti Dixit — Ph D Scholar, Department of Livestock Production Management, DUVASU Mathura, India
Vishakha Singh Gaur — Ph D Scholar, Department of Livestock Production Management, DUVASU Mathura, India
Published 14 Jul 2026 Vol. 2 No. 1 (2026), pp. 37-41 ● Open access
❝ How to cite 🔗 https://doi.org/10.48165/jvls.2026.2.01.06
Formats:Full text (HTML)JATS XMLPDF ● Open access
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Abstract

Goats are highly adaptable, social, and intelligent livestock, contributing significantly to rural livelihoods, food security, and sustainable agriculture. In India, they constitute 27.74% of the total livestock population, underscoring their economic and ecological importance. The welfare of stall-fed goats is closely linked to their ability to express natural behaviors, including selective feeding, climbing, hiding, social interactions, and cognitive problem-solving. Confinement and limited environmental complexity can restrict these behaviors, leading to stress, aggression, disrupted social hierarchies, and reduced productivity. Modern welfare assessment frameworks, such as the Five Domains model, extend beyond the absence of suffering to include positive experiences, integrating nutrition, environment, health, behavior, and mental state. Management interventions, including environmental enrichment, elevated feeding systems, structured housing, and positive human-animal interactions, have been shown to improve behavioral expression, reduce stress, and enhance growth, reproduction, and milk yield. Aligning husbandry practices with goats natural behaviours supports both welfare and productivity.

KeywordsGoat welfareStall-fed goatsNatural behaviourFeeding behaviourHousing managementProductivity
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