HAULING HORSES?

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Is branding with hot irons a cruel practice? Are there alternatives to branding irons that work? I've heard about freeze brands, but I also heard they don't last.

-Ruth Burwell
Healy, KS

Branding with hot irons is an issue that has recently come to light with the surge of animal rights awareness in this country. In my opinion, it is not cruel if done correctly and judiciously. To appreciate why we brand livestock today, one must look at the roots of this practice. A brand is like the title to your car. A brand registered in your name decrees that all cattle and horses wearing this brand belong to you. If you sell this animal to someone, they must get a brand inspection, which is similar to a transfer of title. In areas where cattle are on open range, brands help distinguish between different owners. In a grazing association, several different ranches may run their cattle together. At gathering time, a permanent symbol on the cattle allows for quick identification of the animals in a legal manner. In this area of the country (that is, Colorado and other western states), you may not sell—or even transport-livestock without a brand inspection. This deters theft and illegal movement of cattle.

Now, why must hot irons be used instead of other methods? First, the labeling of cattle must be permanent. Therefore ear tags, hair colorants, etc., would not work because they can be altered too easily. Second, the symbol must be easily visible. Microchips and tattoos are great ideas, but impractical from an economic as well as a labor standpoint. Most cattle are not handled as easily as horses or dogs. Imagine scanning 5,000 head of wild cattle at a sale yard in an eight hour day; a brand can be identified at a glance and at a distance.

Freeze branding is easily read but does tend to fade with time. The problem here is the practicality of applying the brand. Many operations brand cattle out on the range. Sometimes access to rangeland may prohibit hauling liquid nitrogen needed for freeze branding. Also, liquid nitrogen may not be readily available in some parts of the country, but fire is. Another problem with freeze brands is the cattle must be dark haired in order for the brand to show. Freezing doesn't destroy the hair follicle, just the pigment production. You would not be able to see a freeze brand on Charlais or other light-haired cattle. Furthermore, if you wanted to destroy the hair follicle so a dark symbol appeared, you would have to freeze the skin for a greater length of time. This in itself is stressful and painful to the cattle. Freeze branding is also not recognized as a legal mark in some states.

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