When do you brand cattle

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Registered in England and Wales. Number Amanda Radke Apr 16, Every ranch has a story. Every piece of land has a history. Every barn holds a memory. Every family member involved enriches the stories, history and memories of the ranch.

Every cow has an impact on the sustainability of the multi-generation business. And every brand placed on the hide of an animal represents the reputation and legacy of the ranching outfit. With all the fun and fellowship of a traditional branding day , there are also unwritten rules for who is in charge of what. Some rules are spoken, some unspoken. I was amazed how well people respected each other, the traditions that had been passed on and just the amazing feeling of being there.

Based on her experiences, Loomis lists the unwritten branding rules, which may differ from ranch to ranch:. The goal of this push is to improve traceability for cattle that develop certain diseases of economic significance. Many herds are integrating these into their program as they are semi-permanent and allow for efficient traceability.

They are also a tremendous asset to the herd in terms of ease of record keeping. Metal clip tags, breed tattoos, RFID boluses, and microchips placed in non-edible tissue are also forms of individual, permanent or semi-permanent identification.

Emerging technologies include various GPS devices for cattle. Flop or plastic tags are easily lost or removed and are very weak in terms of traceability. Their visibility is their major advantage and they are great if used in combination with another more permanent method.

If branding is to be used on a ranch operation, freeze branding is preferred and provides a more visible identification to supplement the RFID tag. An excellent resource on proper freeze branding of cattle can be found at: Freeze Branding Cattle. Cattle were introduced to the Americas by Spanish explorers, and the tradition of cattle branding came as well.

The practice was soon taken up by cattle owners throughout the Americas, but it was made well-known by the cowboys of the American West. According to the TSHA piece, early Anglo-American Texan ranchers utilized the alphabet for their brands, as opposed to the pictographs with meaningful curlicues and adornments used by Spanish and Mexican ranchers. The branding practice developed to the point where it almost has its own language and meaning. Keeping records of brands began in Mexico by the Spanish in the s, and the earliest recording in Texas is believed to be of Richard H.

Today, some ranchers still utilize cattle branding to mark their stock, much like they did in the s. Advancements in cattle branding include the use of an electric brander; the metal is heated with electricity rather than fire. Some ranchers rely solely on ear tags to identify individual animals and to prove ownership. One other option some ranchers are turning to is freeze branding.

According to a CattleToday.