Volume VIII Number 5 September/October 2000

Some Practical Tips For Better Branding





Management practices with cattle have changed drastically over the years, but one practice that has stood the test of time is branding. A necessity in the days of the old west when cattle rustling was considered by some an occupation, branding is still widely practiced across much of the United States.

Although the method has changed slightly with many branding fires being extinguished with the popularity of the electric iron, the basics remain the same. Mark Helbing, owner of L&H Manufacturing who is the patent holder of the electric branding iron, offers some "dos and don'ts" when it comes to branding cattle.
  • Do wait until your electric branding iron turns from red to orange. That is your signal that it is hot enough to begin.
  • Do consider the location of your brand. Avoid placing it where an animal would rub. For instance, in the case of horses, do not place a shoulder brand right where the breast collar crosses over and could rip open and irritate the animal.
  • Don't attach a 300-foot extension cord to the iron. It takes too long for the iron to get hot, and the iron will not perform at its best.
  • Don't place your hot electric branding iron in a bucket of sand between uses, as this will burn out the element. Instead, place it in a bucket of large rocks.

Helbing also encourages brand recorders to urge their customers to record simple, clear brands. Not only are complicated brands more difficult to reproduce on a branding iron, but also are more apt to blotch and be difficult to read. 











  

   
   

   


   

   		
  
   



  

    



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