Calf pneumonia is the leading cause of mortality in dairy calves. Colostrum management, housing and vaccination are the pillars of effective prevention.
Calves with pneumonia experience respiratory distress, fever, nasal discharge and reduced feed intake causing significant suffering. Subclinical pneumonia, identified only at slaughter through lung scoring, affects a much higher proportion of calves than clinical disease suggests. Welfare consequences extend beyond the acute episode — lungs damaged by early pneumonia reduce lifetime production and increase chronic respiratory difficulty. Investment in colostrum management, well-ventilated housing and strategic vaccination delivers measurable welfare improvements alongside economic benefits.