Arrival weight turns respiratory health into a cattle-procurement variable

Low arrival weight turns respiratory health into a procurement and management variable. APHIS has released the second report from its national 2021 feedlot study. The data, collected in 2020 from U.S. feedlots holding 50 or more cattle, show that 12.2% of cattle were affected by respiratory disease. The difference by arrival weight is substantial: 25.9% of cattle arriving below 400 pounds developed respiratory disease, compared with 9.6% of cattle arriving at 700 pounds or more.