First time branding

[Ky cowboy]

I lease a farm and they're is some turmoil between the owners widow and her step daughter so I registered a brand a while back a branded most of the mature cows yesterday had a few slip past me so I'll have another go at it later.

 

[TN Cattle Man]

Hard to tell in the picture... where on the cow is that brand placed?

 

[Ky cowboy]

Left hip

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

What’s the question?

 

[Ky cowboy]

Not one really. Does it look like it was burned long enough

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Not one really. Does it look like it was burned long enough

I have no clue. Looks very painful to me.

 

[TN Cattle Man]

Not one really. Does it look like it was burned long enough

It looks to me like it was burned good... typically when we brand (and we brand on the left hip as well), I like to hold the brand for a good 5-count. It can get a little "smokey" when you're branding longer haired cattle and keeping them secured while branding is key. Nothing worse then a cow that will jump around while you are applying the brand... can make for some interesting brands!

 

[Ky cowboy]

There's a few that'll be interesting I think. I did the best I could.

 

[Coosh71]

Looks good. You want that tan line in your brand. That will keep most of the hair from growing back over the brand. We have had to re brand one or 2 over the years, but yours looks good.

 

[Coosh71]

You will have some bleeding a little from time to time as it heals, but will be fine.

 

[Silver]

The colour is that of a perfect brand. You will be happy with the results. I may have made the iron a touch thicker but that will work fine.

 

[pdfangus]

I worked for a big outfit one time and we hot branded all the calves at preconditioning before weaning....I did not do the branding....I was the guy in the chute holding the calves in place and smoking the fumes....I still hate that smell...

when I got my own cows I freeze branded and liked it a lot better

having said that your brand looks pretty good..should look like new leather and yours does...

 

[Ky cowboy]

I would have preferred a freeze brand but with white cows not really an option. And I don't prefer white cows either but they were cheap enough and throw good calves when crossed to my Angus bull

 

[Dave]

I worked for a big outfit one time and we hot branded all the calves at preconditioning before weaning....I did not do the branding....I was the guy in the chute holding the calves in place and smoking the fumes....I still hate that smell...

when I got my own cows I freeze branded and liked it a lot better

having said that your brand looks pretty good..should look like new leather and yours does...

Nothing like the smell of burning hair on a frosty morning. If some young cowboy shows up at a branding with a hang over we make sure to position them where he gets his share of smoke up the nose. It does wonders for a hang over.

Ky the brand looks good.

 

[76 Bar]

Looks good to me KC. As others have noted it should be visually distinct and the color of saddle leather. When need be, re-applying the iron without blotching can be tricky. FWIW, I shear the area prior to branding.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Looks good to me KC. As others have noted it should be visually distinct and the color of saddle leather.

exactly..sometimes you'll think your gonna burn a hole through em before it gets to that point..sure don't want any less though..heals up and hairs over..to where you barely see it...gotta watched it with horses though..

 

[snoopdog]

It looks real good, the ones that jump around are definitely a challenge.

 

[littletom]

We freeze branded some couple weeks ago for the first time. Just put numbers on them. Tired of lost tags ripped ears and what black cow is that.

 

[76 Bar]

the ones that jump around are definitely a challenge.

Patience is a virtue. Pause between any necessary reapplications to allow the nerve endings to progressively deaden.

 

[Dave]

I helped the neighbor work 80 fall calves today. That bouncing around while branding isn't much of an issue when they are stretched out between two horses. Being the oldest guy there all I did was give the ear tags. There are some advantages to age.