Bovine respiratory disease complex is the most economically significant and welfare-relevant disease in feedlot cattle. Understanding its causes and prevention reflects key priorities in cattle welfare.
Bovine respiratory disease causes significant acute and chronic suffering in feedlot cattle. Affected animals experience breathing difficulty, fever, and general malaise for days to weeks before treatment or death. Chronic pneumonia — resulting from delayed treatment — causes prolonged suffering and permanent lung damage. The conditions that predispose cattle to BRD — transport stress, mixing of unfamiliar animals, abrupt dietary change — are all welfare harms in their own right. Early detection systems and improved entry health protocols can reduce BRD incidence, but the underlying risk factors are embedded in the production system.