Economic Effect of Bovine Respiratory Disease on Feedlot Cattle During Backgrounding and Finishing Phases
Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) can lead to significant economic losses for cattle producers. The objective of this research was to determine economic effects from a risk assessment of calves based on haptoglobin (Hp) concentration and number of treatments for BRD in cattle backgrounding and finishing phases. During the backgrounding phase, 337 heifers were grouped by Hp level and monitored daily for signs of BRD. After the backgrounding phase, 193 heifers were then grouped by number of BRD treatments in the finishing phase. Net returns decreased in the backgrounding phase and the combined backgrounding-finishing phases as the number of BRD treatments increased. However, Hp concentration had no significant effect on net returns.