How to Brand Cattle

Branding cattle is a practical and cost effective way to identify your cattle. A recognizable, registered brand keeps cattle thieves at bay and is instrumental in proving ownership. Here are suggestions to follow when branding your cattle for identification.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Design the brand that you want to use on your cattle. Types of identification brands include logos, letters and numerals, as well as combinations of the three.
2. Contact your state's brand registry to check availability of your brand. If your brand is not in use by someone else, you can then register it with the state. Do this by submitting an application to the state including a drawing of your brand and paying any applicable fees.
3. Decide on the method of branding you will use for identification. These include freeze branding, using a branding iron dipped liquid nitrogen; electric branding, using a brand that carries 110 volts of electricity; and the traditional fire branding, with a metal branding iron heated over an open flame.
4. Construct your branding iron using steel, iron or copper alloy. File down any sharp edges and remove any scale or rust using a wire brush. Branding irons can also be purchased from companies such as BrandNew Industries.
5. Heat or freeze the branding iron, depending on your preferred method. If using a heat source make sure the iron is not too hot. The iron should be an ash gray color, not bright red.
6. Restrain the cattle to avoid any sudden movements when the branding iron is applied. This can be done using ropes or harnesses.
7. Apply the brand to the cattle in a rolling motion for no more than five seconds. Firm pressure should be applied to the iron to ensure a proper, recognizable brand.

Tips & Warnings

• Clip any excess hair from the cattle at the location of the brand prior to branding.
• Avoid branding wet cattle as this could cause scalding and an unrecognizable brand.