Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the most costly disease of beef cattle and a leading cause of feedlot welfare compromise, driven by transport stress, commingling, and overcrowding.
BRD causes significant welfare compromise: acute respiratory distress, fever, anorexia, and in severe cases, severe pneumonia and death. The insidious onset means welfare impacts may be prolonged before detection in large feedlot settings. Individual animal monitoring through daily clinical scoring (fever, nasal discharge, respiratory effort, attitude) allows earlier identification and treatment of affected animals. Welfare improvement strategies include: pre-conditioning programmes that reduce transport stress, vaccination protocols before weaning, and targeted rather than mass antibiotic treatment. The One Health framework links BRD welfare improvement to antimicrobial stewardship — reducing unnecessary antibiotic use through better prevention and early detection serves both animal welfare and public health simultaneously.