Current state of knowledge on the cognitive capacities of goats and its potential to inform species-specific enrichment

Abstract

• Goats have complex foraging, navigational and social cognitive capacities. • Only a few enrichment opportunities currently exist for nurturing goats’ cognitive capacities in commercial housing. • Providing enrichment early is important to promote behavioural flexibility and safe enrichment interaction later in life. • Enrichments include task-based feeding and automated milking stations and provision of opportunities for preferred social groups. Goats show high flexibility when faced with changing foraging and environmental conditions, as well as dynamic social settings. Their origins in complex natural environments have equipped them with a sophisticated behavioural repertoire grounded in a series of cognitive capacities. We outline examples of how goats navigate feeding, spatial and social contexts, by recognizing and remembering patterns, places and individuals. Using these examples, we argue that if we are to promote good welfare, goats require at least some opportunity to utilize these cognitive capacities. Using lab and farmed animal species, we highlight the benefits of providing an enriched housing environment, particularly the development of increased behavioural flexibility and its positive associations. Considering these, we argue that fostering goats' ability to express natural behaviour and make use of their cognitive capacities is grounded in rethinking how these animals are commonly housed. We therefore conclude with a discussion of options for goat-specific enrichment for commercial goat housing systems, namely variable diet components and delivery methods, as well as provision of choice in milking schedule, feed type and location, and in their social companions.