Bovine Respiratory Disease: BRD and Cattle Welfare

Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is the most economically costly and welfare-significant disease in beef and dairy cattle, particularly affecting young animals at high-stress transitions.

Key Facts

BRD (also called shipping fever) is a multifactorial disease involving viral and bacterial pathogens, stress, and environmental factors.
Common pathogens include Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Histophilus somni, and Mycoplasma bovis.
Predisposing viruses include IBR (infectious bovine rhinotracheitis), BVD, BRSV, and bovine coronavirus.
BRD is responsible for over 70% of illness and 40-50% of deaths in feedlot cattle in North America.
Transport stress, weaning, commingling, and nutritional changes all suppress immune function and trigger BRD.
Early detection is critical — behavioural signs include drooping ears, nasal discharge, laboured breathing, and lethargy.
Untreated BRD causes lung consolidation, chronic respiratory impairment, and significant pain and suffering.

Welfare Considerations

BRD causes substantial suffering in affected cattle, including fever, difficulty breathing, chest pain, and systemic illness. Many cases go undetected in large feedlots because early signs are subtle and pen-checking protocols are imperfect. Chronic lung damage from even treated BRD can persist for life, impairing oxygen delivery and exercise tolerance. Metaphylactic antibiotic treatment (treating all high-risk cattle preventively) reduces disease burden but raises antibiotic stewardship concerns. A welfare-centered approach requires minimising stress at weaning and transport, maximising disease detection speed, ensuring rapid analgesia alongside antibiotics, and improving pen-checking frequency and quality. Reducing the structural factors — such as long-distance transport and rapid weaning — that predispose cattle to BRD is a systemic welfare priority.

What You Can Do

If you work with cattle, implement protocols for early BRD detection including twice-daily pen checking.
Vaccinate cattle against respiratory viruses (IBR, BVD, BRSV) according to veterinary advice.
Reduce weaning and transport stress through low-stress handling techniques and gradual transitions.
Use NSAID pain relief alongside antibiotics when treating BRD-affected animals.
Support policies that reduce unnecessary long-distance livestock transport and improve transport conditions.
Choose beef from producers who demonstrate low BRD mortality rates and high welfare standards.