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Freeze brand question
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<blockquote data-quote="RanchManager" data-source="post: 613172" data-attributes="member: 8827"><p>All of our cattle are freeze branded. We freeze brand hundreds of calves each year for several reasons, but we consistently get good results. I'll forgo the pros and cons of our decisions and just tell you what we've learned. </p><p></p><p>Brass brands work better than steel, but steel can work just fine.</p><p></p><p>We use liquid nitrogen. We have used a dry ice and alcohol bath with good results, but using liquid nitrogen is easier and cools warmed irons faster. Liquid Nitrogen is much colder. It is more forgiving if you leave too much hair or not enough alcohol under your brand.</p><p></p><p>These steps are essential:</p><p>1: Shave the brand spot. The closer the better. A surgical shearing head on a commercial shearing device works best. Don't bother with cheap, lightweight shearing equipment. Expose the skin as much as possible. Too much hair and it just won't work and/or you will be unhappy with your results. I've been unhappy with my results a time or two.</p><p></p><p>2: Drench the area with 90% alcohol. 70% is the standard you will find on the drug store shelf. It does make a big difference. The 70% tends to slush too readily. We have learned not to use the 70% at all. Find 90% and use it only. You drench(splash) with alcohol to remove any microscopic air pockets between your iron and the animals skin. Every single little air space provides insulation. It makes all the difference between a poor job and a good result. Using alcohol results in better transfer of heat out of the hide. You are not applying cold, you are sucking out heat.</p><p></p><p>3: The time to apply the iron depends on the shaving job (we are usually moving fast, so sometimes the shearer doesn't get an ideal job). If the shave job is good and to the skin, with liquid nitrogen as the coolant, we will hold the iron on for 40 seconds on a cow. If there is any hair left on the animal between the iron and the hide, we leave it on for a minute. For a calf we typically shoot for 35 seconds and add time for the same reasons. On full-grown bulls we start at 75 seconds.</p><p></p><p>What to expect:</p><p>The animal will jump a bit when the iron is applied, but remains relatively calm once the area goes numb from the cold. After release you will see a slight depression from your brand. It will turn into a raised area within about 15 minutes and look like a good welt in the shape of your brand. The area might ooze serum for a little while.</p><p></p><p>If you freeze brand in the fall, you will probably not see the white hair until the summer coat starts growing in, in the spring. If you brand in the early spring, it might be 2 months before you see the white hair growing in. If you brand in the summer, you won't see results until the winter coat starts to come in. If you are in the south I have no idea what to expect.</p><p></p><p>Hope this helps.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="RanchManager, post: 613172, member: 8827"] All of our cattle are freeze branded. We freeze brand hundreds of calves each year for several reasons, but we consistently get good results. I'll forgo the pros and cons of our decisions and just tell you what we've learned. Brass brands work better than steel, but steel can work just fine. We use liquid nitrogen. We have used a dry ice and alcohol bath with good results, but using liquid nitrogen is easier and cools warmed irons faster. Liquid Nitrogen is much colder. It is more forgiving if you leave too much hair or not enough alcohol under your brand. These steps are essential: 1: Shave the brand spot. The closer the better. A surgical shearing head on a commercial shearing device works best. Don't bother with cheap, lightweight shearing equipment. Expose the skin as much as possible. Too much hair and it just won't work and/or you will be unhappy with your results. I've been unhappy with my results a time or two. 2: Drench the area with 90% alcohol. 70% is the standard you will find on the drug store shelf. It does make a big difference. The 70% tends to slush too readily. We have learned not to use the 70% at all. Find 90% and use it only. You drench(splash) with alcohol to remove any microscopic air pockets between your iron and the animals skin. Every single little air space provides insulation. It makes all the difference between a poor job and a good result. Using alcohol results in better transfer of heat out of the hide. You are not applying cold, you are sucking out heat. 3: The time to apply the iron depends on the shaving job (we are usually moving fast, so sometimes the shearer doesn't get an ideal job). If the shave job is good and to the skin, with liquid nitrogen as the coolant, we will hold the iron on for 40 seconds on a cow. If there is any hair left on the animal between the iron and the hide, we leave it on for a minute. For a calf we typically shoot for 35 seconds and add time for the same reasons. On full-grown bulls we start at 75 seconds. What to expect: The animal will jump a bit when the iron is applied, but remains relatively calm once the area goes numb from the cold. After release you will see a slight depression from your brand. It will turn into a raised area within about 15 minutes and look like a good welt in the shape of your brand. The area might ooze serum for a little while. If you freeze brand in the fall, you will probably not see the white hair until the summer coat starts growing in, in the spring. If you brand in the early spring, it might be 2 months before you see the white hair growing in. If you brand in the summer, you won't see results until the winter coat starts to come in. If you are in the south I have no idea what to expect. Hope this helps. [/QUOTE]
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