Farm Animal Welfare

Cattle Bovine Respiratory Disease Welfare

Bovine respiratory disease is the most costly and common disease in beef cattle, causing pain, production loss, and significant welfare compromise.

Key Facts

BRD accounts for over 70% of antibiotic use in the beef industry
The disease complex involves viral pathogens and secondary bacterial infection
Stress from weaning, transport, and commingling triggers immune suppression
Early detection using temperature boluses and AI behavior monitoring improves outcomes
Prevention through vaccination, stress reduction, and good nutrition is most effective

Welfare Considerations

Cattle with BRD experience fever, pain, difficulty breathing, and depression. The disease is often underdiagnosed due to the difficulty of monitoring large groups. Prevention and early treatment are both welfare and economic imperatives.

What You Can Do

Support precision livestock technology that enables early BRD detection
Advocate for reduced antibiotic use through prevention-based management
Choose beef from farms with demonstrated animal health monitoring programs