Freeze Branding
Bluebonnet Livestock is now a distrubutor of RAMM Mfg. custom made branding irons. Contact us for all of your branding needs, both supplies and services.
Individual animal identification is essential if beef producers are to properly manage animals and their production records.
Beef producers have many forms of identification available, including ear tags, tattoos, and brands. Producers are often frustrated by loss of ear tags while tattoos cannot be read without catching the head of the animal. Hot or fire brands cause hide damage and decrease hide value and consequently, are not a recommended management practice in accordance with Beef Quality Assurance guidelines. Although the United States is moving towards a national animal identification system, it still may provide only limited application for day-to-day animal identification. Many of the systems being considered use electronic identification that requires specialized readers used at a close distance. Freeze branding offers a permanent form of identification that is easy to read at a great distance, causes minimal damage to the hide, and is less painful than hot branding.
How does it work?
Freeze branding kills the pigment-producing cells in the hair follicle. Therefore, when the hair regrows where the brand was applied, it is white. Freeze branding is done with special copper or bronze irons cooled to -100° to -300° F. The area must be prepared so the iron touches the skin, freezing it during the branding process. The first day after branding, the skin swells producing a welt in an outline of the brand. In 10-14 days, the brand will form a scab and peel and white hair will in its place.
If this is something that interest you or could be beneficial in your management program, give us a call.
Bluebonnet Livestock offers freeze branding services. Call for more details!
References and exerts:
Authors: John B. Hall, Extension Animal Scientist, Beef; Scott P. Greiner, Extension Animal Scientist, Beef/Sheep; and Cynthia Gregg, Extension Agent, Brunswick County; Virginia Tech
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