Branding Done

[I luv herfrds]

Forgot my camera up in the shop so will have to upload pictures tonight.

Got our calves branded and pairs out to pasture. Have 2 head left to calve the 3rd one just dropped her calf this morning. Hubby is going to haul some old pairs to the sale barn this afternoon. They are all 12 year olds with calves at their sides.
Our friends who's son got a 4-H steer from us came out and both their boys got to take a turn; with hubby's help; putting the brand on some calves.

it was a wonderful day with lots of help. I think we all either got a sun tan or a sun burn!

 

[Dave]

I ran 45 replacement heifers through the chute yesterday and branded them. Nothing like the smell of burning hair on a hot afternoon...... Thankfully there is nothing else like it. I really needed a shower by the time I was done.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Forgot my camera up in the shop so will have to upload pictures tonight.

Got our calves branded and pairs out to pasture. Have 2 head left to calve the 3rd one just dropped her calf this morning. Hubby is going to haul some old pairs to the sale barn this afternoon. They are all 12 year olds with calves at their sides.
Our friends who's son got a 4-H steer from us came out and both their boys got to take a turn; with hubby's help; putting the brand on some calves.

it was a wonderful day with lots of help. I think we all either got a sun tan or a sun burn!

old at 12, I got cows with granddaughters that age .,.
:cowboy:

 

[Nesikep]

I was at the ranch across the river from me on saturday for their branding party, we got 90 head done in about 90 minutes.. it was good fun.

There is nothing like the smell of burning hair on a hot day, but you get kinda used to it after a while too.

 

[Andyva]

I really want to start branding all of my replacements. Tired of tags ripped off , ears split, wondering which solid black cow was the one that raised the crappy calf. Just want a year code and then an identification number. Brass numbers for freeze branding are expensive, I could probably make my own hot branding numbers. Just wondering, how does it affect them going through the chute from then on, after the hot branding versus freeze branding.

 

[Supa Dexta]

I believe in many places its illegal to brand an animal without ownership/registration of the brand itself.

 

[Oldtimer]

Forgot my camera up in the shop so will have to upload pictures tonight.

Got our calves branded and pairs out to pasture. Have 2 head left to calve the 3rd one just dropped her calf this morning. Hubby is going to haul some old pairs to the sale barn this afternoon. They are all 12 year olds with calves at their sides.
Our friends who's son got a 4-H steer from us came out and both their boys got to take a turn; with hubby's help; putting the brand on some calves.

it was a wonderful day with lots of help. I think we all either got a sun tan or a sun burn!

old at 12, I got cows with granddaughters that age .,.
:cowboy:

Up here in shortgrass country where cows wear down or break their teeth out pretty young- and the winters get 30 below- 12 is often getting to be an old cow... Especially if they have to rustle for themselves- with no extra care... I've had a couple slip thru and stay in the herd until they are 18- but quite a few ranch's cull everything when they are 10 or 12.... A couple of ranchs I know of, mouth all their cows in the fall when preg testing- and ship all broken or smooth mouthed cows.. Often those cows will last several more years with a little extra feed/care- but those big ranch's don't want to have to do that...

 

[Andyva]

I believe in many places its illegal to brand an animal without ownership/registration of the brand itself.

That is true here, but "brand" and "identifying mark" are two different things. Brands have to be registered, identifying marks don't. I just want a year code, and a number.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Forgot my camera up in the shop so will have to upload pictures tonight.

Got our calves branded and pairs out to pasture. Have 2 head left to calve the 3rd one just dropped her calf this morning. Hubby is going to haul some old pairs to the sale barn this afternoon. They are all 12 year olds with calves at their sides.
Our friends who's son got a 4-H steer from us came out and both their boys got to take a turn; with hubby's help; putting the brand on some calves.

it was a wonderful day with lots of help. I think we all either got a sun tan or a sun burn!

old at 12, I got cows with granddaughters that age .,.
:cowboy:

Up here in shortgrass country where cows wear down or break their teeth out pretty young- and the winters get 30 below- 12 is often getting to be an old cow... Especially if they have to rustle for themselves- with no extra care... I've had a couple slip thru and stay in the herd until they are 18- but quite a few ranch's cull everything when they are 10 or 12.... A couple of ranchs I know of, mouth all their cows in the fall when preg testing- and ship all broken or smooth mouthed cows.. Often those cows will last several more years with a little extra feed/care- but those big ranch's don't want to have to do that...

Yeah, outside of the humidity and low quality forage .we have pretty good conditions..add crossbreds to it and you can sap a lot of years out of one..

 

[John SD]

Forgot my camera up in the shop so will have to upload pictures tonight.

Got our calves branded and pairs out to pasture. Have 2 head left to calve the 3rd one just dropped her calf this morning. Hubby is going to haul some old pairs to the sale barn this afternoon. They are all 12 year olds with calves at their sides.
Our friends who's son got a 4-H steer from us came out and both their boys got to take a turn; with hubby's help; putting the brand on some calves.

it was a wonderful day with lots of help. I think we all either got a sun tan or a sun burn!

old at 12, I got cows with granddaughters that age .,.
:cowboy:

Up here in shortgrass country where cows wear down or break their teeth out pretty young- and the winters get 30 below- 12 is often getting to be an old cow... Especially if they have to rustle for themselves- with no extra care... I've had a couple slip thru and stay in the herd until they are 18- but quite a few ranch's cull everything when they are 10 or 12.... A couple of ranchs I know of, mouth all their cows in the fall when preg testing- and ship all broken or smooth mouthed cows.. Often those cows will last several more years with a little extra feed/care- but those big ranch's don't want to have to do that...

:nod: After several teenage cows didn't survive '96-'97, my policy was to cull any cow at 12, no matter how good she looked.

12 would likely be OK in a more moderate climate, with better feed :2cents:

 

[John SD]

I believe in many places its illegal to brand an animal without ownership/registration of the brand itself.

That is true here, but "brand" and "identifying mark" are two different things. Brands have to be registered, identifying marks don't. I just want a year code, and a number.

I used to tattoo the year of birth in ears of ewe lambs I kept for replacement :idea:

 

[Andyva]

Yep, but a ewe is pretty easy to hold down and look in her ears, I was thinking a brand on the rump would work pretty swell on cows. Using letters for year codes and staying away from the ones that you might confuse would still give you 20 years to work with. If a man kept 10 or so replacements a year, you could give them a letter and a number. Then it would be easy to tell the help to bring the A-9 cow through the gate when it's time to load her out. Just wondering which way to go between hot branding and freeze branding.

 

[John SD]

Yep, but a ewe is pretty easy to hold down and look in her ears, I was thinking a brand on the rump would work pretty swell on cows. Using letters for year codes and staying away from the ones that you might confuse would still give you 20 years to work with. If a man kept 10 or so replacements a year, you could give them a letter and a number. Then it would be easy to tell the help to bring the A-9 cow through the gate when it's time to load her out. Just wondering which way to go between hot branding and freeze branding.

Freeze branding done right should be good and readable any time of year. Maybe not on Charolais cattle Hot iron brand you might have to shave the brand before spring calving to make it easily readable :idea: Not a big problem, especially if you intend to work cattle anyway ahead of calving.

 

[I luv herfrds]

Like OT said 12 years is pretty old for a cow up here. Lots of cattle were heading for the sale ring yesterday. These older cows were looking pretty "shelly" as hubby put it. One had a calf that is a major dink. Was talking to him about just keeping that calf and putting it on my milk cow when she calves.
Things are real dry here right now and grass is in short supply.

Our brand is registered with the Montana Dept of Livestock. It has the placement on it and everything.

Hot branding is cheaper for us. If we decided to switch to freeze we would have to have all new branding irons made plus get the tank and then get it filled. Propane is cheaper. Wood cheaper still!

 

[I luv herfrds]

Yes we still use a calf table. It is helpful when there is only 4 of you to brand calves.



Learning how to brand


Hiding in Mom's shadow

 

[John SD]

Yes we still use a calf table. It is helpful when there is only 4 of you to brand calves.



Learning how to brand


Hiding in Mom's shadow

That PR is an oldie but goodie Looks like still a hint of red paint on it. Most calf tables that age you can't find a bit of paint anywhere