Respiratory disease is the leading cause of mortality in weaned calves and a major welfare problem, with early detection systems enabling treatment before disease becomes severe.
Early pneumonia detection is a welfare intervention that reduces the duration of untreated pain and improves treatment outcomes. Calves with pneumonia experience fever, difficulty breathing, and reduced activity that cause significant welfare harm. Clinical signs visible to the observer appear only after significant disease progression -- by which point welfare harm has been sustained and treatment is more difficult. Automated detection systems that identify respiratory changes before clinical signs enable earlier treatment that reduces the duration of welfare harm. Prevention and early detection are complementary welfare strategies with strong economic alignment.