Branding areas

[thankful]

We are currently in a non-branding area and do not have a registered brand. Since we lost some of our pasture we are forced to take our pairs out west in a branding area. The person caring for the cows says we don't need a brand, but I am questioning if we should still register for one and brand our cows before grass time. In western Nebraska where we are taking these cows is there that much of a problem with cows being taken?

 

[randiliana]

Well, I would highly recommend some sort of reliable ID on the cattle. Branding is of course the most reliable and permanent. Properly applied ear tags are pretty good, but IMO should include more than just a # on them. You can add your name, phone #, etc to them. We just add our Brand to the top front of the tag, some sort of info should be on the front, just for easy identification. Use the back for more in depth stuff like your phone #. Another option is metal ear tags (Kurl-Lock) They are pretty permanent, and you can have your name stamped into them, as well as numbers.

Some sort of ID is good, not just because someone might try to steal your cattle (not that likely, but possible) but because your cattle might get out, or mixed up with someone else's cattle. No ID makes it hard for you to prove the cattle are yours.... And makes it harder to sort different owners.

Here's a couple stories.....

We had a calf show up in our pasture late one summer. Had an ear tag, and we tried numerous times to find the owner. Couldn't see a brand on it, and in the end we did finally put it down the chute and it had no brand. The tag did have some info on it, but not a lot, in the end we wintered it and sold it with our own, never did figure out the owner.

A friend of ours had a cow show up in his pasture (2 hours from his home), he ended up bringing her home in the fall. No tags or anything, using the brand on it, they tracked it down to his next door neighbour. Turned out that the cow had been sold a few years previous, and the new owner had never put any ID on the cow. Can't remember if they ever figured out where she came from.

 

[bigbull338]

id reg the brand in my home county.an see if i need to reg it where the cattle will be grazing as well.

 

[I luv herfrds]

Definately get a brand and brand them.

A friend of ours had 12 of his best replacement heifers disappear. Turns out his loser neighbor rounded them up with his and shipped them to auction. If they hadn't been branded they would have never known what happened to them. They got the check for them not the neighbor who was trying to sell them under his name.

Another story.
A bull disappeared. He was branded. the owners called all the neighbors, nobody claimed to have seen him. A couple years later the bull showed up at the auction ring. turns out their neighbor across the river had the bull and used him for breeding. The old owners got the check for him.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Gotta be pretty low to use someone's bull for two years like that.