Gradually weaning goat kids may improve weight gains while reducing weaning stress and increasing creep feed intakes.

Most dairy goat farms rear kids on milk replacer; calf research suggests this improves growth and welfare, but solid feed intakes are problematic. Weaning can be gradual (incremental milk reduction) or abrupt (sudden, complete milk removal, which evidence suggests reduces welfare). Three treatments were created: abrupt weaning (AW: milk until weaning) and gradual weaning [milk until day 35, then milk unavailable 3.