Reducing Stress At Branding Time
Janna Kincheloe
Branding of livestock has served as an important method of permanent identification for thousands of years. Use of brands as identification is important to be able to determine ownership of an animal in public grazing land situations, on large acreages where cattle may be lost or mixed with other herds, and ranches that have cattle owned by more than one person. Branding also provides an opportunity to conduct other herd and health management practices, including vaccinations, castration, dehorning, body condition scoring of cows, etc. Despite the necessity of branding and its associated benefits, it can be a stressful event for livestock and producers alike.
