Bovine Respiratory Disease and Feedlot Welfare

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in North American beef feedlots, driven by the stress of transport, commingling, and rapid diet change — making it a central welfare and economic concern.

Key Facts

BRD accounts for approximately 75% of feedlot morbidity and 50% of mortality, costing the US beef industry over 1 billion dollars annually
Transport stress, new social groupings, and sudden dietary changes all suppress immune function and increase BRD susceptibility
Mass antibiotic metaphylaxis — treating whole pens prophylactically on arrival — is standard practice in many US feedlots but drives AMR
Individual animal monitoring systems using ear tag sensors can detect early BRD before clinical signs are visible, enabling targeted treatment
Reducing transport duration, minimising commingling of animals from different sources, and improving arrival protocols significantly reduce BRD incidence

Welfare Considerations

BRD welfare is primarily a systems problem — the feedlot model creates conditions that predictably cause high disease rates requiring mass antibiotic treatment. Welfare-positive alternatives include sourcing single-origin cattle, minimising transport stress, providing gradual dietary transition, and using monitoring technology for early individual intervention. These also reduce antibiotic use, creating alignment between animal welfare and AMR reduction goals.

What You Can Do

Support grass-fed and pasture-finished beef certification schemes that avoid the feedlot model
Advocate for antibiotic use reporting requirements and reduction targets in the beef cattle sector
Support research into BRD prevention strategies that reduce both disease incidence and antibiotic dependence
Reduce beef consumption to decrease total demand for feedlot production systems with high BRD prevalence