Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the leading cause of illness and death in feedlot cattle. The stress of transport, commingling, and abrupt diet change creates conditions that trigger respiratory infection with devastating welfare and economic consequences.
BRD causes substantial suffering. Affected cattle experience fever, chest pain, difficulty breathing, and the profound weakness of systemic illness. Animals that are not identified early may suffer for days before treatment. Post-BRD lung scarring reduces long-term productivity and may cause chronic respiratory compromise. The welfare failure of BRD is partly structural: the feedlot system itself — long-distance transport, commingling of animals from multiple sources, abrupt environmental changes — creates the conditions that drive disease. Improving pre-weaning management, reducing transport stress, and implementing rigorous daily health monitoring are the most impactful interventions for individual animal welfare.