Bovine respiratory disease is the costliest and most welfare-significant disease complex in cattle, affecting millions of animals annually.
Bovine respiratory disease complex is not merely an economic problem — it is a welfare crisis involving millions of calves suffering from fever, labored breathing, and loss of appetite, often for days before detection in large feedlot settings. BRD typically emerges at the confluence of transport stress, novel environments, new social groups, and pathogen exposure that overwhelms immune systems. The same welfare improvements that reduce stress during the receiving period — lower stocking density, good nutrition, and minimizing commingling — also reduce BRD incidence, creating alignment between welfare and economic goals.