Bovine respiratory disease is the most costly and common disease in beef cattle production, causing significant suffering and mortality, particularly in newly weaned and transported calves.
BRD represents one of the most significant welfare problems in beef production. Pneumonia causes acute suffering - inflammation, fever, breathing difficulty, and systemic illness - often for days before detection and treatment in large feedlot settings. The disease cascade is driven by management choices: mixing calves from multiple sources, long transport distances, and abrupt weaning all compound susceptibility. Better welfare at the individual level requires earlier detection, prompt treatment, and management changes that reduce disease incidence rather than relying on mass antibiotic intervention.