How dust and poor air quality in feedlots affects cattle welfare, what the research shows, and what management improvements help.
Air quality in dry-climate feedlots is a significant but often overlooked welfare issue. Cattle spend months in pens where hoof traffic and dry conditions generate substantial dust. This dust contains fine particulate matter, fungal spores, endotoxins from bacterial cell walls, and respiratory pathogens. Exposure is associated with bovine respiratory disease, the primary health challenge in feedlot cattle and a major cause of antibiotic use. Welfare-conscious feedlot management includes regular pen watering, dust monitoring, and strategic pen layout to minimize wind-driven dust exposure.