We've always hot branded, but are thinking about giving freeze branding a try this summer. I've read some of the literature out there on it, but would welcome any tips regarding specific techniques and tips you folks use plus a general idea of just how big of a "pain" it might be relative to hot branding.
Freeze Branding
- Thread starter chambero
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knabe
Well-known member
the tips on time, coolant, shaving, etc are usually similar. for me, having a good squeeze with nice access to the hip, or your preferred location, is the most essential. it makes it easy to keep digits perpendicular, equadistant and level. for the first time, just place the unchilled irons where you want them to gauge their spacing etc. and the limitations of your chute. it's a pretty satisfying process. use the bigger irons for hairier cows. getting the hair clipped close will make it so the iron won't slip so easy. the cold iron just seems to glide and twist from where you want it if the hair is too long.
Jill
Well-known member
The Miles DeJong family have always done that, you might check with them, they have a really nice outcome.
Witzke
Member
We freeze brand all of our cows. First you need to buy a couple pounds of dry ice and put it in a big cooler be sure to wear gloves and smash the ice with a hammer and put a half a gallon of alcohol in the cooler then put the irons in let them bubble and shave the hair get as close as you can if the hair is wet use a blower to dry it then get all the dirt off with a rice root brush then squirt alcohol on the spot where you want it and put the brands on for one minute each then your done
CAB
Well-known member
Chambero, I have done both. I Prefer the cold brand, but I personally did not have great results, but I have seen great results. It's all about protocol. I would suggest you giving Evan Rayl, Rayl Angus Farms a call. He has written up instructions and I'm sure that he will be more than happy to send them to you. He has a Bridgewater,Iowa Ph #(641-369-4092). I think that some of my poor results were caused by not getting good enough skin contact. You do need surface clean, shave hair with surgical blades, wet with alcohol, and here's what I was told to do after the fact, while the iron is on the skin, keep misting lightly with alcohol to keep good conductivity between the iron and the hide, also with freeze branding with dry ice, it takes longer for the iron to get to temp verses using liquid nitrogen and if , let's say the # you want is 2296, you will have to allow the full amount of time for the irons to get back to temp B4 you use it the 2nd time. Another contact would be Doug Birt, ABS rep from Prescott,Iowa. He freeze brands all of his cattle and I think that his tech is Dave Juelsgard from Creston,Iowa. Doug's # is 641-335-2354. Doug will also be glad to help. Good luck. I'm sure that you will have great results by following one of these 2 guys advice. Brent
I was asked by a previous poster on this thread to post on this subject:
Freeze Branding
By Evan Rayl
In every state west of Iowa, branding is an annual ritual that takes place on virtually every ranch in the spring just before the bulls are put out to pasture. In Iowa, just 4000 brands are registered and worse yet, most are not used, resulting in a haven for cattle thieves. Recently, a farmer was arrested in Southern Iowa, who has admitted to many thefts in the area spread over the past ten years. If you protect your cattle by freeze branding, you greatly reduce the chances of being a victim. Thieves will look for an easier mark.
Since July 1, 1995, freeze brands have been a legal brand in Iowa. Not only are these brands proof of ownership in a court of law, but livestock auctions and other cattle buyers will check ownership carefully if freeze branded cattle are presented to them for sale. Also, if you have cattle get out everyone in the neighborhood will know where they belong. My neighbors all know who to call if they see a cow with a freeze brand out. In addition, if you also put number brands on, each animal is easily identified for production testing purposes. I only replace lost ear tags when cattle go thru the chute for routine veterinary work.
The big advantage of freeze branding is the brand is readable year round on black or red cattle. Good brands are easily seen from quite a distance and readable from over 50 feet. Cattlemen with white cattle have no choice but to hot brand, since freeze branding kills the pigment in the hair, turning it white. I dislike hot brands a lot because I can’t stand the smell and hate the pain to the cattle, not to mention the hide is discounted after slaughter.
The only disadvantage to freeze branding is the amount of time it takes. Try as we may, it takes at least ten minutes for two of us to place my brand and three numbers on each animal. But at the same time, to hurry too much is a mistake, since the brands are likely to turn out bad. On the other hand, we placed over 400 brands and numbers last year and they all are very readable, but we follow the procedure below as closely as possible. Forty head in a day is the most we’ve ever done.
If you have a registered brand, all you need is freeze branding equipment and materials. If you do not, the place to start is by getting your own registered brand. If you live in Iowa, contact the State Livestock Brand Recorder at 515-281-8617 to request a registration pack be sent to you. Work with the Recorder to select your own unique brand for approval. The fee for first time registration is $15 and renewals are $5. Each is good for five years.
Once you have registered a brand, the next step is to get an iron with your brand and also a set of number brands if you wish to individually identify your cattle. Excellent brands for freeze branding are manufactured by L & H Mfg., Mandam, ND. They are made of copper alloy and come in various sizes. I like 4 inch best. A set of numbers and a brand will cost around $200-250 depending on the size selected.
Equipment Needed
1. A good head gate and squeeze chute is a must to hold the animal as still as possible while the brand is being applied. If possible move the bottom of the squeeze in to keep cattle from going down.
2. A brand and/or set of number brands as needed.
3. Animal hair clippers with sheep head blades.
4. Animal hair clippers with the thin surgical blade (EA1-sur) made by the Stewart/Oyster Co. Used with the regular top blade (83AU), it will chip real close. It is best to have two sets of each type of blades on hand or more if doing a large group.
5. Container or two large enough to set all the brands on the bottom at one time for cooling. We have lids on the containers with rectangular openings to slip the brands down into the ice and alcohol with each opening identified with the same number as the brand.
6. Mister bottles. The best bottles are the ones costing about $2, normally used for misting flowers and sold by garden supply shores. Again, its best to have at least two on hand, because they wear out fairly rapidly. WalMart carries the misters.
7. A large clock with second hand to be used for timing of brand application.
Necessary Supplies
• Dry Ice - get at least a pound per head, two pounds would be better if it is going to be a hot, windy day-I like it in one or two inch slices, then place it in a plastic water softener sack and beat it up with a hammer. Leave in chunks larger than ice cubes.
• 99% Alcohol - do not even try to use 70% (the other 30% is water)-get at least a gallon per 10 head, more is better. Store the excess for next year. I try to keep at least a years supply or more in stock.
• Extra sharpened clipper blades.
• Diesel Fuel to lubricate the clippers.
• Screwdriver to change blades.
• Funnel - to put alcohol back in bottles. Strain thru a cloth.
• Heavy plastic bags and a hammer for breaking up the ice.
• Rice root brush and towels for cleaning brand location.
Freeze Branding Procedure
1. Break up enough dry ice to cover the bottom of the container(s) with at least two inches of ice. Pour enough alcohol over the ice to cover the ice and the brands placed down in the ice. Add more ice and alcohol as needed during the day. As soon as one is done using a brand place it back in the ice and do not use again until bubbling stops.
2. Restrain the animal in the chute by the neck and tighten the squeeze chute on the body as much as is possible.
3. Clip the hair in the area to be branded. In the winter or spring use a sheep head clipper first, then clean the area with a brush, then alcohol and a towel, followed by the other clipper with the surgical blade to get the hair as short as possible. Again clean the area with the brush, followed by alcohol and a towel to get the area absolutely clean.
4. Just before placing each and every brand, saturate the individual brand site with alcohol from the mister to provide liquid contact between the iron and the hide. This step is critical to obtaining a good brand because alcohol will evaporate quickly.
5. Apply the brand to the hide for 75 seconds, all the time spraying more alcohol on the brand with the mister every 10 seconds or so. This technique has done more to improve our brands than an other single thing we have changed in the thirty some years we have been freeze branding. Watch the clock hanging beyond the chute to determine the elapsed time. Some have suggest that it is not necessary to hold the brand on for 75 seconds, but doing so will eliminate the possibility of any bad brands if other procedures are followed properly.
Notes and Observations
Animals will react somewhat less to the super cooled iron as opposed to a hot one, but they will still try to jump, usually about ten to fifteen seconds into branding. If the brand is knocked off its location during branding, just reapply and add an extra 5 seconds plus the time lost.
One will have a good idea if the brand is done properly if the hide area is frozen stiff. One can determine this by taping with your fingernail. It should feel like taping on a ice cube. It will take three to four weeks for the brand to show up nicely.
Alcohol will migrate thru a styrofoam cooler, but not a plastic one, so plastic works best, however I happen to have and use styrofoam ones. I simply don’t leave the alcohol in them over night. This will be the next thing I change.
Make some arrangement where you put the irons back in the cooler each time in the same place, while you are using them for the sake of efficiency.
Safety is very important, never let an iron, alcohol, or ice touch your skin (it is 110 degrees below zero). Always wear good gloves while branding. Also do not smoke because the alcohol is very flammable. Do not use a cattle prod in the work area.
I do not recommend using gasoline with the dry ice for a coolant, as it is even more flammable than alcohol. I also do not recommend antifreeze because it will be too syrupy to work well. Plus, I also do not recommend using liquid nitrogen as a coolant because it is 373 degrees below zero and will kill the hair under the brand and leave a gray line around the edge of the brand, which makes it a lot harder to read. Some have indicated that one can get a white brand if the brand is held on just the right length of time, but some brands do not turn out very good. It is even more dangerous to work with liquid nitrogen.
The author of these instructions recommends you register a brand, get the equipment, and start freeze branding. Not only will it deter thieves, but you will appreciate the convenience of permanent, easy to read identification.
Incidently, both hot and cold brands are now an accepted replacements for tattoos on Registered Angus Cattle.
The most important thing to get very readable brands, is simply to take the time to do it right. That is the reason for most all failures. If one will brand all their heifers each year, in a few years the whole herd will be branded.
P. S. I am always looking for ways to improve our freeze branding methods. The newest one is to use a straight edge with a level attached to put a level mark across the side of the bovine at the top of where we want to place the brand. A Sharpie felt pen works good to mark the line. We then place the individual brands as straight up and down as we can just below this line. Our brands look a lot neater this way.
References and Contact Information
Evan Rayl, along with his wife Shirley, operates Rayl Angus Farms, Inc. at Bridgewater Iowa. He has been Angus breeder for 60 years and has served as President of the Iowa Angus Association for two terms. Mr. Rayl has also been the Editor of Livestock Plus for 14 years. Evan was taught to freeze brand by Dr. Robert deBaca, who wrote the original “bible” of how to freeze brand back in 1974. You may contact Evan by phone at 641-369-4092 or by e-mail at [email protected].
Freeze Branding
By Evan Rayl
In every state west of Iowa, branding is an annual ritual that takes place on virtually every ranch in the spring just before the bulls are put out to pasture. In Iowa, just 4000 brands are registered and worse yet, most are not used, resulting in a haven for cattle thieves. Recently, a farmer was arrested in Southern Iowa, who has admitted to many thefts in the area spread over the past ten years. If you protect your cattle by freeze branding, you greatly reduce the chances of being a victim. Thieves will look for an easier mark.
Since July 1, 1995, freeze brands have been a legal brand in Iowa. Not only are these brands proof of ownership in a court of law, but livestock auctions and other cattle buyers will check ownership carefully if freeze branded cattle are presented to them for sale. Also, if you have cattle get out everyone in the neighborhood will know where they belong. My neighbors all know who to call if they see a cow with a freeze brand out. In addition, if you also put number brands on, each animal is easily identified for production testing purposes. I only replace lost ear tags when cattle go thru the chute for routine veterinary work.
The big advantage of freeze branding is the brand is readable year round on black or red cattle. Good brands are easily seen from quite a distance and readable from over 50 feet. Cattlemen with white cattle have no choice but to hot brand, since freeze branding kills the pigment in the hair, turning it white. I dislike hot brands a lot because I can’t stand the smell and hate the pain to the cattle, not to mention the hide is discounted after slaughter.
The only disadvantage to freeze branding is the amount of time it takes. Try as we may, it takes at least ten minutes for two of us to place my brand and three numbers on each animal. But at the same time, to hurry too much is a mistake, since the brands are likely to turn out bad. On the other hand, we placed over 400 brands and numbers last year and they all are very readable, but we follow the procedure below as closely as possible. Forty head in a day is the most we’ve ever done.
If you have a registered brand, all you need is freeze branding equipment and materials. If you do not, the place to start is by getting your own registered brand. If you live in Iowa, contact the State Livestock Brand Recorder at 515-281-8617 to request a registration pack be sent to you. Work with the Recorder to select your own unique brand for approval. The fee for first time registration is $15 and renewals are $5. Each is good for five years.
Once you have registered a brand, the next step is to get an iron with your brand and also a set of number brands if you wish to individually identify your cattle. Excellent brands for freeze branding are manufactured by L & H Mfg., Mandam, ND. They are made of copper alloy and come in various sizes. I like 4 inch best. A set of numbers and a brand will cost around $200-250 depending on the size selected.
Equipment Needed
1. A good head gate and squeeze chute is a must to hold the animal as still as possible while the brand is being applied. If possible move the bottom of the squeeze in to keep cattle from going down.
2. A brand and/or set of number brands as needed.
3. Animal hair clippers with sheep head blades.
4. Animal hair clippers with the thin surgical blade (EA1-sur) made by the Stewart/Oyster Co. Used with the regular top blade (83AU), it will chip real close. It is best to have two sets of each type of blades on hand or more if doing a large group.
5. Container or two large enough to set all the brands on the bottom at one time for cooling. We have lids on the containers with rectangular openings to slip the brands down into the ice and alcohol with each opening identified with the same number as the brand.
6. Mister bottles. The best bottles are the ones costing about $2, normally used for misting flowers and sold by garden supply shores. Again, its best to have at least two on hand, because they wear out fairly rapidly. WalMart carries the misters.
7. A large clock with second hand to be used for timing of brand application.
Necessary Supplies
• Dry Ice - get at least a pound per head, two pounds would be better if it is going to be a hot, windy day-I like it in one or two inch slices, then place it in a plastic water softener sack and beat it up with a hammer. Leave in chunks larger than ice cubes.
• 99% Alcohol - do not even try to use 70% (the other 30% is water)-get at least a gallon per 10 head, more is better. Store the excess for next year. I try to keep at least a years supply or more in stock.
• Extra sharpened clipper blades.
• Diesel Fuel to lubricate the clippers.
• Screwdriver to change blades.
• Funnel - to put alcohol back in bottles. Strain thru a cloth.
• Heavy plastic bags and a hammer for breaking up the ice.
• Rice root brush and towels for cleaning brand location.
Freeze Branding Procedure
1. Break up enough dry ice to cover the bottom of the container(s) with at least two inches of ice. Pour enough alcohol over the ice to cover the ice and the brands placed down in the ice. Add more ice and alcohol as needed during the day. As soon as one is done using a brand place it back in the ice and do not use again until bubbling stops.
2. Restrain the animal in the chute by the neck and tighten the squeeze chute on the body as much as is possible.
3. Clip the hair in the area to be branded. In the winter or spring use a sheep head clipper first, then clean the area with a brush, then alcohol and a towel, followed by the other clipper with the surgical blade to get the hair as short as possible. Again clean the area with the brush, followed by alcohol and a towel to get the area absolutely clean.
4. Just before placing each and every brand, saturate the individual brand site with alcohol from the mister to provide liquid contact between the iron and the hide. This step is critical to obtaining a good brand because alcohol will evaporate quickly.
5. Apply the brand to the hide for 75 seconds, all the time spraying more alcohol on the brand with the mister every 10 seconds or so. This technique has done more to improve our brands than an other single thing we have changed in the thirty some years we have been freeze branding. Watch the clock hanging beyond the chute to determine the elapsed time. Some have suggest that it is not necessary to hold the brand on for 75 seconds, but doing so will eliminate the possibility of any bad brands if other procedures are followed properly.
Notes and Observations
Animals will react somewhat less to the super cooled iron as opposed to a hot one, but they will still try to jump, usually about ten to fifteen seconds into branding. If the brand is knocked off its location during branding, just reapply and add an extra 5 seconds plus the time lost.
One will have a good idea if the brand is done properly if the hide area is frozen stiff. One can determine this by taping with your fingernail. It should feel like taping on a ice cube. It will take three to four weeks for the brand to show up nicely.
Alcohol will migrate thru a styrofoam cooler, but not a plastic one, so plastic works best, however I happen to have and use styrofoam ones. I simply don’t leave the alcohol in them over night. This will be the next thing I change.
Make some arrangement where you put the irons back in the cooler each time in the same place, while you are using them for the sake of efficiency.
Safety is very important, never let an iron, alcohol, or ice touch your skin (it is 110 degrees below zero). Always wear good gloves while branding. Also do not smoke because the alcohol is very flammable. Do not use a cattle prod in the work area.
I do not recommend using gasoline with the dry ice for a coolant, as it is even more flammable than alcohol. I also do not recommend antifreeze because it will be too syrupy to work well. Plus, I also do not recommend using liquid nitrogen as a coolant because it is 373 degrees below zero and will kill the hair under the brand and leave a gray line around the edge of the brand, which makes it a lot harder to read. Some have indicated that one can get a white brand if the brand is held on just the right length of time, but some brands do not turn out very good. It is even more dangerous to work with liquid nitrogen.
The author of these instructions recommends you register a brand, get the equipment, and start freeze branding. Not only will it deter thieves, but you will appreciate the convenience of permanent, easy to read identification.
Incidently, both hot and cold brands are now an accepted replacements for tattoos on Registered Angus Cattle.
The most important thing to get very readable brands, is simply to take the time to do it right. That is the reason for most all failures. If one will brand all their heifers each year, in a few years the whole herd will be branded.
P. S. I am always looking for ways to improve our freeze branding methods. The newest one is to use a straight edge with a level attached to put a level mark across the side of the bovine at the top of where we want to place the brand. A Sharpie felt pen works good to mark the line. We then place the individual brands as straight up and down as we can just below this line. Our brands look a lot neater this way.
References and Contact Information
Evan Rayl, along with his wife Shirley, operates Rayl Angus Farms, Inc. at Bridgewater Iowa. He has been Angus breeder for 60 years and has served as President of the Iowa Angus Association for two terms. Mr. Rayl has also been the Editor of Livestock Plus for 14 years. Evan was taught to freeze brand by Dr. Robert deBaca, who wrote the original “bible” of how to freeze brand back in 1974. You may contact Evan by phone at 641-369-4092 or by e-mail at [email protected].
red
Well-known member
(welcome) ER!!!!!!! It's great to have you.
Red
Red
We did it college and I prefered it to the hotbrand. Only problem is on back hip if we didn't get it straight it made the heifers hip look funny. We then started going on front shoulder. Just depends if they are show cattle I guess.
knabe
Well-known member
robert de baca also wrote a great book about the performance era in cattle called "courageous cattlemen." you can still purchase it from his wife. she has a few copies left. lots of great stories.
she's a great lady, and has some interesting stories about cattle in the snow.
she's a great lady, and has some interesting stories about cattle in the snow.
CAB
Well-known member
Thank you Evan for taking the time to dig up and post the protocols. I appreciate it. How's calving coming along this nice almost spring day? LOL.
Thank you all very much for the information. We brand 50-60 replacement heifers at weaning every year. We just though freeze brands might read better after they get older when the hot brands start getting hard to read with long hair.
CAB,
Thanks for asking,
we syno bred a group of cows to calve on March 7 & 8. We had 14 calves in 24 hours during this fine weather. Except for ears and tails (time will tell about that) everyone is fine. Glad to have a calving shed, but its never been so cold in it this time of the year before. They and the ones that came before and will still come are by Poundmaker 21, Lead On, and our own bull R A F Ladiesman 033.
Glad to see reports of warmer weather next week, even though we will have mud to fight next,
ER
Thanks for asking,
we syno bred a group of cows to calve on March 7 & 8. We had 14 calves in 24 hours during this fine weather. Except for ears and tails (time will tell about that) everyone is fine. Glad to have a calving shed, but its never been so cold in it this time of the year before. They and the ones that came before and will still come are by Poundmaker 21, Lead On, and our own bull R A F Ladiesman 033.
Glad to see reports of warmer weather next week, even though we will have mud to fight next,
ER
So if we have a show heifer with nice hair - do we clip and freeze brand now when we are doing the rest of the replacement heifers or do we wait and do her next year when we are done showing?
I'm almost inclined to go ahead and do it now because then she is very visibly indentifed.
We've always hot ironed them before and have just started FB...
I'm almost inclined to go ahead and do it now because then she is very visibly indentifed.
We've always hot ironed them before and have just started FB...
BCCC
Well-known member
Which would be better for show cattle??? can you do it when they are babys?
Jill
Well-known member
DeJongs have alway showed them with the freeze brand on, I don't know that it makes a big difference, just personal taste I would probably wait.
How long does it take the clipped hair to grow back? I've seen them shown with the brand area clipped out and to me, it breaks up the symetry of the rest of the animal... I dunno.. Probably going to leave them all unbranded til next year.
