Branding as it’s done here nowadays

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Why isn't freeze branding more commonly used on cattle as it is on horses? Less pain and the hair grows back in white.

 

[Silver]

We are that way with one exception. And if they have a brand that neighbor is good...... As the saying goes. Trust your neighbors but brand your cattle.

I believe I can say with confidence that I've lost more calves because of branding than from not branding. I believe as long as tour community remains as it is I will continue to brand my replacements and leave the calves alone.

 

[Travlr]

I believe I can say with confidence that I've lost more calves because of branding than from not branding. I believe as long as tour community remains as it is I will continue to brand my replacements and leave the calves alone.

Why have you lost calves because of branding?

 

[Silver]

Why have you lost calves because of branding?

Seems like you take a hot day, separate calves from cows for a few hours, stress them out (they do get stressed no matter how they're handled), challenge their immune system with vaccinations… within 24 hours it's not uncommon to have a dead calf.

 

[suzorse]

Why isn't freeze branding more commonly used on cattle as it is on horses? Less pain and the hair grows back in white.

mine is a freeze brand on the left shoulder , for both horses and cows , , but where I live now I do not brand , but I could
Suzanne

 

[wbvs58]

Dry ice is very hard to get here at the moment, the meat processors are even scratching for it. I had to use N for my heifers and bulls back in March as no chance of getting the dry ice. I think I left them on for 25 sec and they looked good for a few weeks after branding but now they look very poor and hard to see. I hope as they lose their winter coat they will look a bit better but I'm not hopefull. I hope they get their supply of CO2 sorted for my branding next year, much more consistent results with the dry ice.

Ken

 

[Josher]

Had the family out to give us a hand. Since we no longer brand our calves we brand our replacement heifers before bull turn out. This gives us a chance to knock off any horns and replace missing ear tags. We also give a metal bangs style tag to hopefully ensure that the never goes incognito.
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That's the exact brand I was trying to get but it seemed to be taken lol. Although it might province specific. Went with rafter J reverse F

 

[Silver]

That's the exact brand I was trying to get but it seemed to be taken lol. Although it might province specific. Went with rafter J reverse F

Interesting! And yes, it should be province specific.

 

[Dave]

Why isn't freeze branding more commonly used on cattle as it is on horses? Less pain and the hair grows back in white.

The amount of time and preparation required. It is not uncommon here to do 250+ calves here in an afternoon. The speed at which things go make it unpractical to use freeze brand. Also a fair number of Charolais cross calves. The hair grows back white on a calf who is already entirely white.

 

[GoWyo]

Why isn't freeze branding more commonly used on cattle as it is on horses? Less pain and the hair grows back in white.

Freeze brands do not leave a definite scar like a hot iron. On a black hide, it may be possible to dye the white hair black and pass the animal off as unbranded. Nothing beats a hot iron for a permanent identification.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Good Lord. I thought dying animals was just for horse traders. Ever read the Horse Tradin books by Ben Green?

 

[gcreekrch]

Seems like you take a hot day, separate calves from cows for a few hours, stress them out (they do get stressed no matter how they're handled), challenge their immune system with vaccinations… within 24 hours it's not uncommon to have a dead calf.

In 44 years and who knows how many calves we lost one to a reaction to blackleg vaccine. We weren't there fast enough with Epinephrine.
Saw a calf at a friend's branding die before it got put through the table. It must have been playing and twisted a gut. Owner was a veterinarian too. He felt kind of foolish losing a calf he could have easily saved.

 

[Named'em Tamed'em]

Dry ice is very hard to get here at the moment, the meat processors are even scratching for it. I had to use N for my heifers and bulls back in March as no chance of getting the dry ice. I think I left them on for 25 sec and they looked good for a few weeks after branding but now they look very poor and hard to see. I hope as they lose their winter coat they will look a bit better but I'm not hopefull. I hope they get their supply of CO2 sorted for my branding next year, much more consistent results with the dry ice.

Ken

Dry ice and alcohol? What percentage alcohol?
Thanks Scott

 

[wbvs58]

Dry ice and alcohol? What percentage alcohol?
Thanks Scott

We use methylated spirits which is a mixture of methanol and ethanol I think so it is basically 100% alcohol so there is enough to comfortably cover the brands with plenty of dry ice bubbling away in it. When the frost line starts to get about 1" up the brand handle it is about ready to go. I make my own freeze brands using copper bar and have steel handles silver brazed to the number or letter.

Ken

 

[Silver]

In 44 years and who knows how many calves we lost one to a reaction to blackleg vaccine. We weren't there fast enough with Epinephrine.
Saw a calf at a friend's branding die before it got put through the table. It must have been playing and twisted a gut. Owner was a veterinarian too. He felt kind of foolish losing a calf he could have easily saved.

I think working through the tipping table like you do with a small crew is less stressful on the calves. I don't know that we've ever lost a calf as a result of anaphylaxis from vaccines. I'm saying that a day of roping and dragging, vaccinations, and all the activities involved in that type of branding take their toll. We did it here for about 70 years.

 

[gcreekrch]

I think working through the tipping table like you do with a small crew is less stressful on the calves. I don't know that we've ever lost a calf as a result of anaphylaxis from vaccines. I'm saying that a day of roping and dragging, vaccinations, and all the activities involved in that type of branding take their toll. We did it here for about 70 years.

We roped and drug calve to the fire from 1981 to about 2001. I am wondering with your calves carrying more exotic blood, being more growthy, maybe fleshier would have something to do with them heating up more. Lord knows, the last two years before we went to the tin horse it wasn't exactly an organized event here.
Miss the good times with good neighbors, don't miss the drunks and citiots in the road one bit.

 

[Dave]

Miss the good times with good neighbors, don't miss the drunks and citiots in the road one bit.

Everyone here is pretty picky about who gets invited and the amount and type of alcohol that is there.