Riding for the brand is more than a saying associated with cowboy’s. A brand is a mark of ownership identification and has been used as far back as 2000 B.C. in Egypt. The American rancher adopted the practice from Mexican ranchers. Before barbed wire, cattle roamed free and often mingled with other ranchers cattle herds. In those days the cattle were branded with the family crest that nearly covered the entire body of the cow. The size of the brand shrank as the price for the hid it’s self went up.
Brands are documented by state and county
The traditional form of branding was preformed with an Iron that was formed into the mark of the ranch. Then it is heated in the coals of a fire and applied to one of three areas on the body. These areas are the shoulder, rib, or the rump. In modern-day branding has choices in the application of the brand. The Herdsman‘s farm and most cattle farms in the Southeast United States, use the freeze brand technique. The brand is formed out of copper or copper-alloy and a coolant like liquid nitrogen or dry ice. Unlike fire branding; freeze branding is relatively stress free and causes little to no damage to the hide.
The cattle on this farm are branded with the farm brand as well as their registration number. Our cattle are tagged with an ear tag at birth. The ear tag has their identification number, but it can be lost. Identification is needed in all stages of bovine life. From birth to death the identification number of a purebred animal has to be maintained for ownership and records.
Calf with ear tag
Cow’s with hip brands
Once the cattle are in the chute, they are clipped with clippers on the area that the brand will be placed. Then that area is brushed off and alcohol is poured onto the area. The brands with have been bathing in the liquid nitrogen are pulled out and placed on the area. After thirty seconds the brand iron is removed.
It’s a fun and tiring day of repetition and a family time. Everyone has a job to do on a farm. No matter what your age or size; something always can be done. Even if its is watching your little sister!
Emma and Adah
Adah talking to the cows
The Herdsman
Emma
The Herdsman's Wife 