I have always run them thru a calf table with 7 way. Bovashield, Ralgrow to any cut bulls, and an electric brand. Used to swap help with a friend who worked the same way.
Never worked at a true rope and drag branding, closest I came was helped an old neighbor about 50 some head. He just sorted the calves into a square pen about the right size, then me and about 6 or 7 high school type kids would walk into the calves find one W/O a brand, drag him by a back leg to an open spot, flank it and get one of the kids to sit on the head while you dropped down and streched him out.
The calves were small so it was E Z enough, but there was no organization. We had enough kids to have 2 or 3 calves down at a time. Two of his girls would wander by and give a shot, he had a pretty good hand doing the cutting, but if you and three bulls down you just had to sit and wait. Which wasn't a problem because the owner was wandering around applying a two iron hot brand in two or three trips per calf. I always made sure my calf was done before I released him but we had to recatch a couple half branded calves and I always wondered how many bulls he got.
I thought it was a joke but they had done it that way for years, and they must have been just as impressed with me because I never got invited back!! @