Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the most economically significant and welfare-relevant disease in beef and dairy cattle, causing pain, distress, and high mortality if untreated.
Cattle with BRD experience significant suffering characterised by fever, pain, reduced feed intake, and respiratory distress. Chronic cases that do not respond to treatment may persist in pain for extended periods. From a welfare perspective, early detection is critical — cattle often mask illness, so visual observation alone is insufficient. Precision livestock farming technologies including accelerometers and automated temperature monitoring allow earlier intervention. Reducing the causes of immune suppression — particularly transport duration, mixing of unfamiliar animals, and poor nutrition during weaning — is the most effective preventive welfare measure.