Bovine respiratory disease is the most costly disease in cattle globally, causing significant suffering particularly in young stock during transport and housing transitions.
Bovine respiratory disease welfare reflects the direct connection between management stress and disease susceptibility. The cascade of stressors in calf production - weaning, transport, mixing with unfamiliar animals - creates conditions where immune function is compromised precisely when pathogen exposure is highest. Prevention-focused management that reduces the number and severity of stress events has both welfare and economic justifications. A calf that never develops respiratory disease avoids weeks of fever, breathing difficulty, and reduced appetite that significantly compromise its welfare during this critical growth period.