Stickney94
Well-known member
GoWyo's reply is really good and concise.I have a question about freeze branding. What method do I use dry ice or nitrogen. How long do u leave iron on. Shave area? Spray with alcohol. I f branded my new bulls and none turned out
Dry ice is easier to work with and more forgiving than nitrogen. You want to make sure you add the irons, alcohol, dry ice into a container (I suggest an old styrofoam cooler) and let them cool down for a bit (20 min at least imo). The irons should sing and the alcohol boil for a bit and then I like to wait 10 min later to make sure they are good and cold. I also suggest using plenty of dry ice and alcohol (keep the iron face fully submerged). I also suggest finding an ice supplier -- some grocery stores have dry ice but my results have been mixed. As GoWyo said it's important to shave closely and then apply a layer of alcohol to the brand area -- it acts like a conductor. You need to apply the iron firmly and put a fair amount of pressure on the area. They will jump at the 10ish second mark.
Freeze branding works well on black hided animals. I've seen some red/herefords but it really works best on black hides. It also takes several weeks for the brands to show. The first week or two it should not look like much. Then it may scab over. And then new hair will grow (white hair). I usually plan on having visible brands 8 weeks later.