Bovine respiratory disease is the most costly and common disease of beef cattle in North America, causing significant suffering that is largely preventable.
Bovine respiratory disease is a welfare crisis hiding behind an economic framing. The cattle that develop BRD experience days to weeks of fever, respiratory distress and pain before treatment is initiated, and treatment success rates decline sharply with delayed detection. The most effective preventive measures — stress reduction at every stage from weaning through feedlot receiving — align welfare and economic outcomes. Early detection technology that identifies sick cattle sooner reduces both suffering duration and treatment costs. Reforming feedlot receiving protocols to prioritise immune system recovery is the highest-leverage welfare intervention in the beef industry.