Freeze branding babies

[SBMF 2015]

We have always had best results freeze branding in mid February.
This year we are going to start breeding hfrs in mid February. I really don't like doing anything to disrupt their normal routine when we're breeding. So I got the brain storm that we could brand them as 3 month old calves.
Anyone branding that young?
How many seconds are you leaving the irons on those young calves.
I know the brand will grow with the calf. How big will a 3" brand get when the animal is mature?

Thanks everyone.

 

[GoWyo]

We have always had best results freeze branding in mid February.
This year we are going to start breeding hfrs in mid February. I really don't like doing anything to disrupt their normal routine when we're breeding. So I got the brain storm that we could brand them as 3 month old calves.
Anyone branding that young?
How many seconds are you leaving the irons on those young calves.
I know the brand will grow with the calf. How big will a 3" brand get when the animal is mature?

Thanks everyone.

How many digits you putting on them? Probably have to use the whole rib to do 3 digit number brand. Will be a 9" brand when mature.

 

[SBMF 2015]

How many digits you putting on them? Probably have to use the whole rib to do 3 digit number brand. Will be a 9" brand when mature.

Thanks.
Probably the farm brand on their hip and 3 digits. Would you leave the iron on for a shorter length of time? We do 33sec on yearling blacks.

 

[GoWyo]

Have no idea. Using dry ice and alcohol on yearlings, I hold for 60 seconds. Would figure a calf probably similar, maybe back it off to 45 seconds, but you are only using 33 seconds on yearlings. Maybe go the same on calve.

 

[Named'em Tamed'em]

Do you shave the area first?

 

[RDFF]

The brand will grow with the calf, so it's going to "cover" the same amount of area of the animals body when grown as it does when you put it there. In my experience, the calf hide is more delicate so by holding too long you can more easily "burn too deeply", but they also "heal" more quickly. When we did it on calves, we ended up with alot of "bare brands" in the center of the brand, with just white hair around the edge, vs. branding on an older animal (like a yearling). I personally think it's better to do an older animal, because the animal will generally be "fleshed out" better, with a smoother body condition. That translates into more consistent contact with the iron, which translates into a more consistent brand quality, especially if trying to place it on the ribs... Harder to find an area big enough for the iron on a calf too (unless you're using alot smaller irons), and they tend to jump around more (harder to hold them steady to get good continuous iron contact for the duration of the branding process).

 

[RDFF]

Do you shave the area first?

We always clipped the area as closely as possible, then soaked the area well with alcohol, then applied the iron straight out of liquid nitro to the hide for 45-60 seconds. GOOD consistent CONTINUOUS CONTACT is the most important... if you lose it when they jump around, the quality of the brand will suffer. Hair will insulate, and therefore change the thermal conductivity from iron to hide... making the brand inconsistent. If you can control the variables, they work very well. If you don't, or CAN'T do a good job of that though, you'll be disappointed in the results.

Time required is a "learned by trial and error" thing dependent upon how well you're doing the job and controlling the variables.

We never held the irons by the "handle".... just wore good well insulated gloves, pulled the iron out of the liquid N, placed our hand right over the iron itself and then placed our palm with the iron in it tightly against the animal... We found it was WAY too difficult to ensure that you were keeping it in one place on the hide if that animal jumps around on you, if holding it by the handle.