Farm Animals

Cattle Bovine Respiratory Disease BRD Economics

BRD causes enormous economic losses in beef cattle alongside significant welfare suffering, with the financial case for prevention through vaccination and management being highly cost-effective.

Key Facts

BRD causes over 1 billion USD in annual economic losses in US beef industry
Affected animals have lower average daily gain, higher treatment costs, and poorer carcass quality
Prevention through vaccination costs 5-15 USD per head versus treatment costs of 50-100 USD
Animals treated for BRD have persistent lung lesions affecting lifetime performance
Metaphylactic treatment at risk events prevents many cases but raises antibiotic resistance concerns

Welfare Considerations

BRD causes significant suffering alongside economic losses that make prevention financially rational. Aligning economic and welfare incentives for prevention is a powerful intervention strategy.

What You Can Do

Implement pre-weaning BRD vaccination protocols in beef calves
Work with your vet on risk-based metaphylaxis decisions that minimise antibiotic use
Reduce transport and mixing stress that increase BRD risk
Support adoption of BRD monitoring technology to detect cases earlier