Bovine Respiratory Disease Scoring: Early Detection Saves Lives

Systematic respiratory scoring systems enable early detection of bovine respiratory disease, reducing suffering duration and improving treatment outcomes in cattle.

Key Facts

BRD is the most economically costly disease in beef and dairy calves
Clinical scoring systems (DART, Wisconsin) assess depression, appetite, respiratory signs, and temperature
Calves scoring 4+ points on the Wisconsin system benefit from prompt treatment
Subclinical BRD causes lung damage detectable by ultrasound before obvious signs appear
Regular twice-daily monitoring catches BRD earlier than once-daily checks
Pen-level monitoring apps and RFID systems improve detection in large operations
Early treatment (within 24h of first signs) dramatically improves success rates

Welfare Considerations

Bovine respiratory disease causes significant suffering - affected calves experience fever, difficulty breathing, chest pain, and progressive debilitation. Systematic scoring protocols reduce the suffering duration by enabling earlier identification and treatment. Calves caught at early disease stages respond better to treatment, suffer less, and have better long-term performance. Training stockpersons in standardized scoring protocols is one of the highest-impact welfare interventions available on commercial cattle farms.

What You Can Do

Implement a standardized respiratory scoring system on cattle operations
Train all stockpersons to use scoring protocols consistently and record results
Monitor calves at least twice daily during high-risk periods (post-weaning, post-transport)
Use thoracic ultrasound to detect subclinical pneumonia in high-risk calves
Treat calves promptly when they reach threshold scores - don't wait for obvious illness
Work with your vet to establish treatment protocols and re-treatment criteria
Track treatment outcomes to identify protocol improvements over time