Using liquid nitrogen what has everyone found to be the ideal timing? I'm having a hard time finding any denatured alcohol this year, vet told me regular rubbing alcohol would work just as good. Is this true? Also I'm in the market for a new set of clippers. Cordless would be awesome, but not a have to be. Any recommendations?
Freeze branding
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I have never freeze branded cattle, but I have freeze branded several hunting dogs. timing on them depends on the thickness of skin, color. age, and make of brand. Just like with a fire brand closed in numbers and letters will blob if not did right.
Ebenezer
Well-known member
Check for denatured alcohol in a paint store. Some use gasoline. I would not care for that. If you are doing many make a box that closes a lid fairly tightly over the top of the handles to decrease moisture contamination. Brush with a stiff brush before you clip the spot and you will save on blades. Easy for me is a cheap battery wall clock with a second hand, put in batteries, hang across the chute and see it right there without another hand. Wait for 12, apply the brand, remove when you reach the 10 or whatever time you use. The less you have to think about extras the easier (for me).
Thank you, that helped much. Do you use liquid nitrogen? From what I've read seems a lot of people prefer dry ice, but I have a guy who fills semen tanks just down the road. Getting the LN is very simple and cheap. Any recommendations on some new clippers?Ebenezer":jhmwbr2f said:
wbvs58
Well-known member
I used both dry ice and liquid N on different groups last year and the dry ice results were much more consistent, maybe I held the liq N on for longer than needed and got burning???
Ken
Ken
Boot Jack Bulls
Well-known member
Look into a new Andis 5 speed clipper with a number 10 or 7 head. We have a Heiniger Saphir cordless that is awesome too. It is quite a bit more expensive than the Andis, but is super nice to hold, balances well, and battery life is great. I won't buy another corded fitting clipper ever again after using the Saphir. Either way, these will generally clip tight enough for freeze branding. You can also use Windex to set a brand instead of alcohol. Works in a pinch. Whichever you use, plan to have a good spray bottle to apply. I generally leave the iron on until the area thumps like cardboard on your knuckle and the brand's outline is easy to see. Length of time depends on each animal. My older bulls would take much longer to set than a calf for instance. On horses, it only takes 7 to 10 seconds.
https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.htm ... gJ2qPD_BwE
Would this one work? Price isn't too bad.
For the people who use dry ice, where do you get it? What does it cost? How long will it keep in a strafoam cooler? Could I put it in a yeti cooler? I have one of those that has never been used in 3 years.
Would this one work? Price isn't too bad.
For the people who use dry ice, where do you get it? What does it cost? How long will it keep in a strafoam cooler? Could I put it in a yeti cooler? I have one of those that has never been used in 3 years.
Ebenezer
Well-known member
I used 50 seconds on a brand. And I use dry ice.
Boot Jack Bulls
Well-known member
Tbrake":3btiz1uw said:
That should work. Anyone who uses a clipper every day (or nearly, think steer jocks!) will almost always recommend Andis.
Fire Sweep Ranch
Well-known member
Tbrake":35a3fxw6 said:
We have a set of those and love them. Make sure you can get surgical blades for them.... we only use them to fit cattle.
Can you get 99% alcohol? That is what we use, with the dry ice. 1 minute on the hide...
I use methanol and dry ice, 55 seconds. Get the methanol at the tire store, get dry ice at Kroger cost $1 per pound, use Styrofoam cooler just medium size, learned quick you don't need a big one, takes to much dry ice. I usually get 30lbs do 25 or so, always throw half away, but I never want to come up short. Have 2 coolers, 1 for mixed and another to keep the dry ice in, you will need to add along the way.
Boot Jack Bulls
Well-known member
Tbrake":2spfdjyy said:
No. That is a blocking blade. They are designed to take off guard hairs and "carve" a profile. Look for a number 30, 40, or 50 blade for an A5 type clipper. You can get away with a number 7 or 10 too, you just have to make several passes at the area to get the same effect. I prefer to just make do with a number 10 since I can use them for other jobs also and don't end up with $35+ blade that only gets used once a year...
wbvs58
Well-known member
I used pelleted dry ice which was very small pea sized and worked great to cool things down but did disappear quickly and was difficult to decant the alcohol off after and left with the alcohol was gone overnight. This year I will try the sheets or blocks broken up, I see it used on youtube videos so should work and it will be easier to separate off to use the next day. I used to use dry ice blocks to freeze fish I caught when camping on the islands and it would last 10 days no problem but was kept dry.
Ken
Ken
pdfangus
Well-known member
Yes temperature is a factor....I learned much to late in life that branding weanlings in late may or early june was a contributing factor to my inconsistent results....
much better results freeze branding in winter......
I also never reused the alcohol....used alcohol I would save and use it for wiping off the branding site before applying the iron...always used new alcohol for the dry ice.
I also have a battery clock that hangs over my chute....
Sourcing dry ice got to be a problem for me....first the dry ice plant in town closed...finally found it in a grocery store but then the grocery chain was sold....would have to start looking again if I were to resume branding...because I have no idea where to find dry ice locally now. I used to buy the dry ice the day before branding and keep in a good cooler and about a third of it would be gone when I was ready to use it...
much better results freeze branding in winter......
I also never reused the alcohol....used alcohol I would save and use it for wiping off the branding site before applying the iron...always used new alcohol for the dry ice.
I also have a battery clock that hangs over my chute....
Sourcing dry ice got to be a problem for me....first the dry ice plant in town closed...finally found it in a grocery store but then the grocery chain was sold....would have to start looking again if I were to resume branding...because I have no idea where to find dry ice locally now. I used to buy the dry ice the day before branding and keep in a good cooler and about a third of it would be gone when I was ready to use it...
