Farm Animal Welfare

Bovine Respiratory Disease in Young Cattle: Welfare and Prevention

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the most costly and prevalent disease in young beef and dairy cattle, causing significant pain, mortality and long-term production losses.

Key Facts

BRD causes approximately 70-80% of illness and 40-50% of deaths in feedlot cattle
Multiple pathogens contribute including Mannheimia, Pasteurella, Mycoplasma and viral agents
Stress from weaning, transport, mixing and weather change are primary risk factors
Early treatment with antibiotics improves welfare outcomes and reduces mortality
Metaphylactic antibiotic treatment and vaccination protocols are used preventively

Welfare Considerations

Untreated BRD causes acute pain, fever, dyspnoea and rapid deterioration. Cattle in the early stages of BRD often continue to eat and do not obviously show their illness, making early detection through systematic health scoring essential. Animals that survive BRD episodes may have lung damage affecting long-term welfare and performance.

What You Can Do

Learn to use standardised BRD scoring tools for early detection
Minimise known stress risk factors at weaning and transit
Work with your vet to develop evidence-based vaccination and treatment protocols
Support research into non-antibiotic BRD prevention approaches