Health management in beef feedlots has major welfare implications. Respiratory disease, liver abscesses, and lameness are the leading preventable welfare problems requiring systematic management approaches.
Feedlot health management is a critical but often reactive welfare intervention — addressing disease after it occurs rather than preventing the conditions that cause it. Proactive approaches — including transit stress reduction, better mixing management, and individual monitoring — reduce disease incidence. Systemic welfare improvements, including dietary transition management, substrate quality, and stocking density reduction, address root causes rather than symptoms. Welfare-focused feedlot management that reduces disease prevalence also reduces antibiotic use — aligning animal welfare, public health, and production efficiency.