How to Brand Cattle

Intro: How to Brand Cattle

Branding cattle is a practical and cost effective way to identify your cattle. A recognizable, registered brand keeps cattle proving its ownership.

STEP 1: Brand Designing

Design the brand that you want to use on your cattle. Types of identification brands can include logos, letters and numbers . You may use all three .

STEP 2: Availability Checking

Check availability of your brand. If your brand is not in use by someone else, you can then register it with the state.

STEP 3: Methods

These include freeze branding, electric branding, and the traditional fire branding.

STEP 4: Appropriate Temperatures

Heat or freeze the branding iron, depending on your preferred method. If using a heat source make sure the iron is not too hot. The iron should be an ash gray color, not bright red.

STEP 5: Staying in Place

Hold the cattle to avoid any sudden movements when the branding iron is applied. This can be done using shoots.

STEP 6: Applying It

Finally apply the brand to the cattle in a rolling motion for no more than five seconds. Firm pressure should be applied to the iron to ensure a recognizable brand.

STEP 7: Tips

Avoid branding wet cattle as this could cause scaling and an unrecognizable brand.

Comments

[Dream Dragon]

My understanding on DESIGNING a "brand" is that it should not be a fully closed figure. I believe that if "edges" come within about 10mm of each other, the Blood circulation in the skin can be sufficiently compromised that the entire area may "die" or become so damaged as to make the brand unreadable, (not to mention the repercussions on the health of the animal.)

[el greeno]

In the UK, we use the yellow tags to replace branding. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), stipulate that all livestock must be tagged within 20 days of birth in each ear. The tag contains a unique number used to identify the animal through it's life. This way we can track the animal from birth to death, and avoid diseased meat etc. entering the food chain.

[caitlinsdad]

What is that yellow ear tag? I guess you select the branding location so it doesn't blemish and devalue the leather pelt?