Zoetis launched genomic predictions for bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in February 2026, giving beef producers new information to consider when selecting breeding animals. The predictions estimate genetic differences in postweaning BRD health, survival, and related economic impact; they are selection tools, not guarantees that an individual calf will avoid disease.
What Zoetis’s BRD genetic predictions measure
Zoetis’s February 2026 technical report defines three outputs. They focus on progeny outcomes from arrival at backgrounding yards through harvest, rather than on newborn-calf wellness or a diagnosis in an individual animal.
- BRD Health (BRDH): predicted genetic differences in the probability that progeny remain healthy and do not require a pull and treatment for BRD during that period.
- BRD Survival (BRDS): predicted genetic differences in the probability that progeny survive through harvest without dying from BRD.
- Dollar BRD ($BRD): predicted differences in direct and indirect revenue impact from progeny, combining genetic merit for BRDH and BRDS.
The report describes BRD as a major feedlot health challenge: it cites prior literature estimating that BRD accounts for approximately 80% of feedlot cattle morbidity and 50–70% of deaths during finishing. Those figures are background estimates cited by Zoetis, not results produced by this genetic evaluation. Earlier BRD research summarized in the report found heritability estimates ranging from 0.01 to 0.26, depending on methodology, breed, and trait definition; the range indicates that estimates vary, not that every herd should expect the same response to selection. Zoetis’s technical report explains the evaluation.
How to interpret values and rankings
BRDH and BRDS describe predicted genetic differences in favorable outcomes, while $BRD expresses predicted revenue impact. In Zoetis’s launch materials, higher trait values and lower percentile ranks are favorable for BRDH and BRDS; for $BRD, higher values and lower ranks are favorable as well. Read a value together with its ranking and the trait definition: the prediction estimates relative genetic merit, not a promised health result for a specific calf.
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Zoetis says the evaluation was developed and assessed using roughly 50,000 commercial feeder cattle finished and harvested from 2021 to 2025. The February 2026 technical report describes that population as mostly moderate- or higher-BRD-risk crossbred steers, with average breed composition of 66% Angus, 5% Red Angus, 9% Simmental, 4% Hereford, 4% Gelbvieh, 4% Limousin, 3% Charolais, and 5% other breeds. The mix is useful context when considering how closely the evaluation population resembles a particular operation.
What Zoetis reports about differences between ranking groups
In its February 9, 2026 launch coverage, Zoetis compared genetic ranking quartiles using more than 440,000 commercial INHERIT-tested animals. It reported that progeny associated with the top rather than bottom 25th percentile were 25% more likely to stay healthy without BRD treatment by BRDH ranking and 14% more likely to survive without BRD death by BRDS ranking. The release also reported a $12-per-calf net-return advantage for the top versus bottom $BRD quartile.
These are population comparisons reported by Zoetis, not independently verified trial results or guaranteed gains for a producer. Zoetis also reported a $1,200 predicted advantage for bulls in the top versus bottom 25th percentile for $BRD, assuming 100 calves sired over a bull’s lifetime. That figure depends on the stated lifetime-calf assumption and should not be treated as a universal value for every bull or breeding program. The launch coverage describes these comparisons.
Which INHERIT route fits your cattle?
Zoetis describes two routes for obtaining the predictions, with different intended users. Product specifications can change, so confirm current scope and eligibility with Zoetis before ordering.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems| Route | Intended cattle and producer | BRD outputs | Stated eligibility or scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| INHERIT Select | Commercial crossbred replacement females | BRDH, BRDS, and $BRD are among the genomic predictions described for the program | For trait and index predictions, British and Continental composition must total at least 75%, and Brahman composition must be no more than 50%. The bulletin advises predominantly 75%-plus black Angus groups to consider GeneMax Advantage instead. |
| INHERIT Connect with BRD upgrade | Seedstock testing, including A.I. sires, bull batteries, and cows | BRDH, BRDS, and $BRD are available as an add-on | The bulletin describes the companion test and add-on, but does not set out a separate detailed breed-composition threshold for this BRD upgrade. |
The INHERIT Select bulletin, updated January 2026, lists current target crosses that include Angus, Red Angus, South Devon, Hereford, Shorthorn, Simmental, Gelbvieh, Limousin, and Charolais. Review the INHERIT Select bulletin and ask a Zoetis representative or Beef Genetics about the appropriate route and current eligibility.
How to use the predictions in a breeding program
BRD predictions add health and survival information to genetic selection. They are best considered alongside the traits and economics that matter to the operation, rather than used as a stand-alone reason to retain or purchase an animal.
- Compare BRDH, BRDS, and $BRD with maternal, production, carcass, adaptability, and other health objectives.
- Consider whether the cattle and management system resemble the population behind the evaluation, particularly its postweaning, backgrounding-to-harvest focus.
- Use the predictions to inform selection and mating decisions; they describe genetic differences and do not determine an individual animal’s outcome.
- Continue veterinary care, vaccination, and sound management. Zoetis’s technical report advises vaccination and management practices that support immunity alongside genetic improvement.
How these predictions differ from dairy calf health traits
Here, “calf” refers to beef progeny evaluated for postweaning BRD health and survival through backgrounding to harvest. The BRD predictions are part of Zoetis’s beef genetics INHERIT services, not its older dairy calf-wellness predictions. They are also distinct from national dairy calf health traits discussed by USDA and the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding. USDA-ARS describes separate work on dairy calf respiratory and diarrhea traits; those measures should not be treated as the beef BRDH, BRDS, or $BRD outputs. The USDA-ARS project page outlines that separate dairy work.
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