Bovine respiratory disease is the leading cause of illness and death in feedlot cattle, causing significant welfare harm that is largely preventable through management and vaccination programs.
Bovine respiratory disease represents a predictable welfare crisis built into conventional cattle production. The combination of transport stress, social mixing, pathogen exposure, and immune suppression at feedlot entry creates conditions where respiratory disease is nearly inevitable in susceptible animals. Animals with untreated BRD suffer progressive pneumonia, fever, and respiratory distress over days to weeks. Prevention through better transition management, appropriate vaccination, and rapid case identification and treatment significantly reduces both animal suffering and economic loss. The alignment of welfare and economic incentives has driven adoption of some improvements, but gaps in detection and treatment remain.