Cattle Branding - The How and the Why
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 พ.ย. 2024
- Branding time is always a source of controversy on the ranch and today we address that by answering why we brand our calves and cattle. From bringing in the herd to vaccines to banding versus castration, today we take a look at this years branding and answer some burning questions.
Please comment, subscribe and share!
Become a supporter on Patreon : / ourwyominglife
Subscribe Now → goo.gl/5HfhGj
Facebook → / ourwyominglife
Twitter → / ourwyominglife
TH-cam → / ourwyominglife
Reddit → / ourwyominglife
Website→ ourwyominglife...
Business Inquiries: For sponsorship requests or business opportunities please contact us directly:
ourwylife@gmail.com
Our Wyoming Life
PO Box 667
Gillette WY 82717
Join us on our journey as we leave a life in corporate america to come back to Wyoming and help on the family ranch.
Our Wyoming Life features our Wyoming ranch and our ranch family. Giving you a look into the workings of ranching from raising cattle to raising and harvesting crops. Erin will join you weekly out of the garden, showing you how she helps provide for our family through growing produce and selling at local farmers markets, and Mike will take you along as he tends to the animals and land of ranch, from calving to fencing to planting and harvesting hay in a documentary style.
I went out this past weekend and helped my supervisor brand 5 of his calf’s. It was and exhilarating and fun experience. The work that goes into getting that steak on the dinner table is incredible and laborious! I have a new found respect for all cattle ranchers! Thank you!!!
Mike, not only was this video highly informative, but it is clear you have a heartfelt affection for each one of your animals, and that you have their well-being paramount in your heart and mind. You and your family demonstrate these values as you work so hard and so sacrificially to protect them and your ranch. Thank you.
Animal welfare is our highest priority. Thanks for watching. -Mike
@@OurWyomingLife Love your channel was born on a farm your life suulf6 have been mine.love you Mike keep it going Jonathan from Arkansas
I totally agree with you.
@@diskgrind3410 Thank you
Wow. Sounds like you are the one lacking compassion.
Mike, your a natural teacher, broadcaster, and rancher. Keep up the good work. Your educating America. Thanks.
Thank you Sir. Mike
No joke, I'm guessing he was a writer // copy editer or something. TOO good to just be 'chance.'
Your way of explaining is to the point, precise and very well executed. I am a city dweller but I can understand your work schedule, life and all. Stay bless my friend. May God protect you and your family.
Mike your voice is awesome.
It’s like a Wyoming cowboy voice.
No bullshiz, no filibuster. Just truth and facts.
As for branding I’m only for it when my dad gives them a burn salve afterwards.
I know how much getting a small burn hurts me so I wouldn’t want to burn something without some sort of pain relief.
Mike, great video as always! Branding is truly a tradition of the American West and is a part of the "cowboy" way of life. This spring I helped with several brandings in the Nebraska Sandhills (one of the great ranching regions of the world along with the Powder River Basin of Montana and Wyoming where your at) and it was a great experience. Its always great to see neighbors helping neighbors gather, sort, brand, vaccinate, cut, and yes even celebrate together. Being one of the guys of got to hold down calves, let me tell you it is not an easy job but it has to get done. I'm glad you brought up the subject of cattle rustling as it is still a major issue. I hope as a producer myself that my family and I never experience it in my lifetime. I know too many people who have had thousands of dollars worth of cattle stolen out from under them. I hope that you never have to experience it either and that Brand Inspectors keep doing their job, even though they may seem like a burden at times.
I really admire you and your bride, Mike. Your videos take be back 50+ years when I was involved in the cattle business. Much obliged for sharing and blessings to you and yours. 🤠
You sound like a guy that would be cool to hear stories from.
The saying, "Trust your neighbors and brand your cattle" has a meaning.
While I remain uncomfortable with branding and don't consider its long history to necessarily be a point in its favour (a lot of bad things have been around for thousands of years, as well), I do appreciate how informative this video is. You explain clearly why you practice branding of cattle, and while I don't think the calves truly forget it ever happened, I appreciate that you recognise their pain during the procedure and appear to do what you can to keep their pain and discomfort to a minimum, while also keeping everyone involved as safe as possible (calves included). I also appreciate that your cattle look (at least to my untrained eyes) healthy and that they get to run around lots in open fields.
As long as we're eating meat from captive animals, I think the least we can do is give them the best lives possible before we literally take everything they have and are. I know a lot of places don't do this, but from this short video it looks like you try, and I thank you for that.
EXUSE ME cattle are important this keep them safe you insulting farmers
@@glenwason7946 Excuse me? Did you even read my comment or just the first six words?
@@seleuf I agree with you 100%. It is so painful to see this still happening today, even though he didn't mention the branding by the freezing with nitrogen, is it as painful as the burning or less, or no pain at all? could u plz clarify more to me.
freeze is shown to be less painful but still hurts like shit
I have no idea of how I ended up watching this video but I stayed through the whole thing because of how well made it is!
As a kid We always worked calves thrown and held on ground by two cowboys. Branding irons brought from an open fire . The words “ hot iron” got everyone’s attention. Looking back it amazing no one got branded in the process.
Great research into branding and why. Thanks Mike.
Mike, can you guys do a video about the lead steers? Whats the purpose? How do you pick them? How long do you keep them on the ranch?
Ron Tiemens comment says it all, what a great video as always Mike. Hope all is going well for Erin and the farm store sure wishing I lived closer. Big thanks for taking us along with you have a blessed week.
Thanks for watching Tricia- Mike
I don’t know how I end up on this video but WOW I’m glad I did. Very well put together video. Thank you
You do an EXCELLENT job explaining the process and necessity of branding. There is so much thought that goes into the process of inflicting pain on something to try and make it as seamless as possible especially when it means keeping what's yours identified as yours. Thank you for keeping you and your family's values so high!
I watched a lot of the live feed of branding day. You could see how carefully y'all attend to the health of your cows and calves. That was heavy, dangerous work. Thank goodness for the squeeze chute thing. Today's video answered a lot of my questions! I have chickens. The heaviest equipment we use is a fishing net lol.
Man i REALLY LOVE the way he explains everything AND makes it clear to understand.... THANK YOU AND YOUR family FOR wat y'all DO! Y'all are truly a special breed of people AND God willing hopefully will NEVER EVER die OUT.... THANKS AGAIN!!
Man I'm from Bulgaria and just wanted to see why we brand our animals.
Damned lucky to have seen you. Extremely well said and done video, very informative and well-rounded.
We have a 700 cow dairy herd that does not go out to pasture, as we live in a desert environment in Israel. Up until recently we did only freeze branding, but now have moved on to a belt around the neck with plastic numbers. This is a result of calls to stop branding altogether. We have been doing this for a few months now, but are not very satisfied with the results. I have seen several cows rip the belt with the numbers off, and am extremely fearful of the day that a cow will not be able to rip it off, and be strangled by it. We are giving the new method a few more months before a final decision. The milk factory wants us to use this new method in order to deflect criticism from vegan critics.
I think you are entirely correct that branding is a much more humane way to deal with the identification of cattle. Nobody here with dairy herds does hot branding. Beef herds are hot branded. For identification purposes in the milking parlor each cow has a RFID chip in a sturdy blue case tied around the leg of the cow.
My twelve year old son asked why branding, and your video was very helpful to explain to him. Thank you!
Who knew? Not me. Thanks for information straight from the source.
Regards from The Diamond Cross Ranch in Birney MT!! Good video neighbor!
Great video Mike. I always learn something new when I watch your videos
Glad to hear that! Thanks for watching. -Mike
@@OurWyomingLife anytime
Another informative, useful video. You have a lot of practical knowledge! Grandpa would be proud of the way you manage the ranch/herd.
I live on a farm in the Netherlands. Some other farmers use brands. But we have about 45 cows so luckely we know when ones is gone
Thanks for watching- Mike
You're not the only Dutch person here.
Groeten uit Dedemsvaart.
Thank you for helping me to understand the reasoning for branding. I didn’t think I would agree with it but I do know that you’ve explained it so well. Love Chicago grandma
I'm watching all your videos from South America Paraguay
Another great and informative video, Mike! Have a great day and a great week!
Thank You Debrah, and same to you- Mike
Hi again! Great info Mike especially for those who might not know. Hope you've gotten a little more sleep now that calving and branding is over. Thx for the vids through the processes on your place. Looking forward to what's next. Happy summer finally!!
Thanks C C- Mike
Interesting and informative as always, people who deal with animals understand this very important set of procedures, thanks for taking the time to illustrate this
Thank you for watching- Mike
Talk about just jumping in to see how deep it is, huh Mike and Erin(sp?)!? I think during my first calving, I would literally worry myself sick. Thank God, there are people like you out there, because I think all people could do whatever the job, but some don't have the same passion, for all the different jobs needing done. No doubt, her Father-in-Law left it to very capable people, awesome stuff guys!
You guys are brabe hanging this video here knowing it could cost you followers that thinks this procedure is kind of abuse to the animal. I find it very interesting informative and very well done. Keep making this extraordinary job you are doing with the animals, your kids and showing/teaching the rest of the world what is the ranch life.
Very good video, cattle rustling in kinda big out here in northern Nevada as well. We brand our cows and this year we had to brand our bottle baby calf who was getting to big to have around the house, I felt worse then normal since he is like a big pet but within 15 minutes he came on up and started rubbing and loving on me, I don't think they live in the past or think much about it after it's over.
Thanks for watching and sharing- Mike
used to help out on a familys friends dairy farm, she once said that she would loose 5-10 calves every year do to theft before she started branding which they were initially against
We just banded my baby buck, now whither. I couldn't stand to get rid of my baby goat. The rest are going to auction this Thursday.
I was born a fifth Generation MT Rancher (No Longer) and I enjoyed the video. The Biggest factor to a beef tastes is quality of food, age and stress. If beef is excited before butchering then it will release lactic acid changing the taste to more Dull, which is why most packaged beef sucks do to the stress they undergo at a plant.
Trust me, we ate every part of a Bovine save the Eyes and hooves. Bones were boiled to get the flavor for soups/stew and blood was collected to make blood pudding. The lungs was the worst as the texture is like cardboard as well as the taste.
Thanks again. My wife is a foreigner and was curious about the family brand paperwork I still keep soo..
The Dry ice/ Liquid Nitrogen is essentially a frostbite burn.. Very good, honest info
It sure is. Thanks for poing that out.- Mike
Knowledge is power. Great video Mike. That takes some big gonads to russell cattle.
Yes knowledge is power, Lorie.
Have you guys ever considered using ear tattoos as a means of permanent ID? We don't brand here at the farms I work at, just tattoos with their stud prefix and drop number in their right ear. Here in Australia, by law, all livestock must be fitted with RFID tags when moved between properties. It's very interesting how you guys in the US manage your cattle compared to us here! It's pretty rare to see hot-iron brands here, but dairy cows sometimes get freeze brands on their rump, plus a tattoo, plus an RFID tag and a standard management tag! To top it off, we take photos of the calves as birth on the dairy I work at because no two heifers have the same marking, it's like a fingerprint! Those photos then stay in the herdbook. Thanks!
Contrary to what people think Americans are very conservative in many aspects of their society. "If it was good for my papy, it sure is good for me"
Couldnt a tattoo be changed tho... and pics are all good but there are many all black or all red cows...so a picture of a calf doesnt mean ownership
@@samanthaflynn6140 Yeah, if I was a cattle rustler, especially if I was keen on stealing only one at a time, then it wouldn't take much effort to remove the ear or the part of the ear that is tattooed so then when Mike, the Armchair Rancher, and Erin come to accuse me of cattle rustling, I'd just explain that my cow Fluffy just injured his/her ear, and no, I don't know nuthing about no cattle rustling. It's a bit harder to remove a lot of cattle skin real-estate while the animal is alive.
@@Ayomayo48583 cattle get ear injuries frequently. If I was cattle rustling and all I had to do was remove a small strip of ear, well I would. Wouldn't take much to make it look like a natural injury.
Great video guys. Very educational to those who don’t understand the concept of branding. My brothers and I really do enjoy watching your videos.
How did your ranch decide on the A- as a brand?
Good evening, and thank you for all this information. I've worked on a farm that confines these beautiful animals to a high density of indoor living spaces. Love a pasture-base rancher that allows animals to graze outdoors. Plus, you and Erin take the weather seriously and do whatever to protect your animals , crops and your land. I working on my on project of running a Foundation for Dairy cows.
The quality of the 2 videos I have seen on your channel is fantastic.
Thanks for watching- Mike
Thank you Mike I really enjoy your quick videos and information thank you
I love 💕 cows and yesterday was my birthday and a calve was born on my birthday yesterday :D
Happy Birthday and congrats on the calf! Thanks for watching. -Mike
Happy birthday and congratulations on the new member.
Happy Birthday !
Yaaay happy birthday!!
Great explanation, Mike
Wow alot of good information I never even new about. Thanks for the insite. :)
Your very welcome Davina! Thanks for watching. -Mike
Searing the steak when they’re young and searing the steak at the end of their life. Ahaha all jokes aside, everyone needs to know where there meat and everything else they eat come from. A lot of people don’t realize the process Farmers and Agriculturists have to go through to produce the products that are on the store shelves. Thanks for sharing this content with us. Very informative!
Great video!! Very informative! Thanks again for your time !
Thanks for watching- Mike
Coffee and an OWL video, morning complete !
This is very educating, thanks!
I’m sorry to hear about your father-in-law. The ranch is in good hands though. Thanks for all your videos.
2:49 the cow just causally relieving herself near everyone else🤣
I love the way you present in your videos...the way you do it explaining the negative and positive side of farming, should answer everyone's questions about farming and living....
Thanks for watching Jeff. Mike
Very good information, for how many months is it most advisable to do this in calves and what type of medications do they apply and what is their function, I await your response. Regards!
Great video Mike! I learned a bit today!
I wish there was a different way to keep track of the cattle... I hate to go toward electronic chips with all the issues that could have, but a burnt in brand is pretty permanent. Probably my least favorite day out of the whole year is branding, I feel for them.
Farming 4G peculiar. Branding day is one of my favorite days of the year
Thanks for the great content Mike!!
Thank You and thanks for watching- Mike
Thanks for another great video.
Don't you wish branding went as fast as this video?
Glad to see you guys back Mike!!!! I thought u had a live stream this morning
Great video! Cattle rustling does happen! My friends has that happen years ago, when calves were bringing a decent price. They were stolen right out of the barn! Lucky she had pictures and ear tags to help identify her calves and the stockyard employee's thought something was odd. My friends have a small dairy in Wisconsin. Thanks again for the video.
We used to put a tattoo on the inside of the ear. It was permanent even if you had to shave the hair later to see it.
Gaines Arnold and very impractical to range cattle as it is impossible to see from any distance whatsoever
@@robgriz72 Of course. My comment was just in light of what else is done to identify permanently not as best practice in all cases.
Curious to know why you brand on their side as opposed to the hindquarters? I guess freeze branding might work if you have a smaller herd but the hot brand for that many cows means less time away from mom.
Branding location is part of your brand. Some are required on the hip. Some are on the side
So educational. :)
Thanks for watching. -Mike
You give us more than we deserve, and we thank you. BTW, yesterday was also my birthday :) Best wishes and thanks again.
Happy Burthday Steve- Mike
You should do a video on what your brand stands for/means
And do you come up with your own or is it issued?
sam wilkes you come up with your own and the state will check and see if it is already used then if it isn’t you can get it registered
Thanks Mike great information
Thanks for watching- Mike
I love the content, keep it up! It's amazing.
Thanks You for watching JakeLens- Mike
Hey Mike, I'm in Southwest Ohio smack dab in the middle of farmers. I don't think anyone around here brands with irons, mostly ear tags so it's interesting seeing how you do it and thanks for being straight up honest and saying the calf feels it. I think it goes without saying but really glad you still mention it. I'm guessing it doesn't smell to good either, I've seen castration both ways and my opinion (just me) is banding is better. Anyway sorry for rambling, keep up the hard work, hope the family is doing great and everyone has a safe and happy summer.
I always find it interesting how thing are done in different parts of the country and the world. Thanks for watching- Mike
I didn't realize freeze branding was so slow. Thank you for the input. I knew banding hurt, but is a whole lot easier to watch. There's another channel that prides themselves on whipping out a knife, slashing the skin and biting the cord. Rougher isn't better. We've changed from market beef to local beef by watching how you handle stock. Do you guys ship?
Thanks for watching Debra. We unfortunately cant ship at this time, but hopefully in the future. Mike
Very nice and informative video, though I disagree on the last bit where you said that the calves forget about the branding and have no idea what you have done to protect them. Animals are a lot smarter than what we’re willing to give them credit for.
In Australia you need an identification tag to sell cattle to prove there your so really unless another farmer is knocking off your cattle off your pretty ok. Thanks for the video mike
Well here in the USA that's not how it works in some states it's the law you have to brand your livestock
This was very informative, and you did a great job addressing individual questions/concerns people may have. Thank you for taking us along!
My stepfather has a farm and years ago they stopped branding the cattle. I guess it depends on the region as here I never heard of stolen cattle.
We live in a small town in Brazil. No cold season so they are never confined. We just gather them every week to check for newborns and treat the umbilical cord and give a dosage against parasites. Then check if any of them got hurt or has diarrhea and treat it.
Then we put 180kg of salt with vitamins (6 bags of 30kg) for the cattle to eat and go home.
Once a year we do the vaccination and switch the bulls with other farms to avoid inbreeding.
Easy work, one day per week.
Great information Mike. I know the process costs and any good rancher is not going to perform a procedure that wastes money on the ranch. This is a good protection on investment. Thanks for the post and the history lesson.
Mike, you are a great communicator, you must have done this in your previous life. Good work.
Thanks Mike...very informative...hope all is going well with you and Erin and the kids...looks like you guys are super busy...always a good thing...remember things happen for a reason...we may not like it at the time...but down the road we see the reason why....Thanks again for the vid Mike...much appreciated!!
Thank You for watching- Mike
I remember checking cows with my Grandpa. "Always check the salt and then mineral, check the water sources, check the fencelines, and what's the number of cows and calves this time?" He'd say. If I was off on the number, we would have to go around the pasture again. He would purposely not check this part or that part of the pasture sometimes just so the number would be off. One day I asked him what the big deal is about having the right number is? He said because if we come up x amount of cows short, one of 4 things happened, they got out of the pasture, they got stolen, they died, or you mis counted. Either way I am still selling the same amount of cows or calves at sale time and any loss would have to come out of the one we held back to butcher for the family to eat. So count it right, or don't eat. He was kidding but driving home the very good point that each one has to be accounted for. Even if they died of natural causes or say a lightening strike we had to make sure the herd didn't get sick from it.
Thank you mike
Thank you for watching- Mike
Another great video........thank you
Your welcome, and thanks for watching- Mike
Great video Mike. Growing up I loved helping my uncle brand. We roped and dragged until I was in high school and then he bought a chute similar to yours. Not as much, but you were less likely to get kicked!
Getting kicked or stepped on isnt a fun experiece. Thanks for watching Mike
Great informative video as aways. Mike what was final calf count ? How many have yet to calf?
Does branding affect the value of the leather?
rick dees no
I imagine they proably cut those out and sell them
Been in the leather business for 30 years. It does affect the value of the hide to a certain degree as well as scars from thorns and barbed wire. The section can be sanded but then it won't be a full grain hide anymore. You get a smaller blister free section when you have to trim scars.
Possibly but branding is the law out west. You can be fined for each animal not branded.
This was a great video. I understand why they do it. I end up with cows on my property all the time to eat grass and drink out of my pond on my 5 acres and I know where they are coming from for the most part but it helps to see the brands because I once had 5 cows come from the back portion of my property and I thought I knew who they belonged to but I was wrong. I left them and not two long the owner came down the road looking. I have a German Shepherd and she herds them in one spot and we just wait for the owners to come to get them. I'm in the process of fencing because they are big and it is just me and I don't want to get hurt. You are so right about cattle thieves and boy do we have them in Texas.
Let's Go Brand 'Em!
Mike, I believe we need to start branding as well. Could you tell me where you got the electric branding iron? Thanks!
We ordered ours through Valleyvet.com
Love the vids
Thanks for watching. -Mike
Fantastic video! History, current events, the why and you do it so well!
So much great information, compassion and lots of hard work...great video Mike!!
Thanks Susan. Mike
I know in Texas, my family's brand, which is registered under me now, was first registered in this county May of 1838. Because it was mandatory back then.
Hey Mike quick question- How do you decide what your signature brand would be and that it wouldn't be anyone elses?
The state livestock board manages all brands and makes sure each one is in a different spot and can't be turned into something else.
@@OurWyomingLife Thank you
I am fascinated with your videos. I just finished taking my own blood pressure. While waiting for my three readings, I wondered, does cattle have issues with high blood pressure? What are the symptoms? Do you ever have to check cattle for high blood pressure?
Excellent and informative. Thank you.
Let's Go Branding!!!
Do you not need to put some kind of salve on that brandmark to help with their pain and to head off an infection maybe. Just curious.
Wow, that was a great video Mike!! Like always, learning something new today. Don't know how you find time for these great videos.
Thanks John.- Mike
I saw a video awhile back about castration of sheep. The rancher chose to use a sharp knife and the testicles were removed by the rancher's teeth. Didn't take long for the sheep to get over it. Then he did one with rubber band method. The sheep stumbled. Evidently the rubber band method effects sheep differently. I can understand using rubber bands on a large number of calves. Quicker.
There was 29 calves stole last week in Mississippi
Does our state have the same cattle police? that he spoke about? or does it fall on the county?
Greeting from North Mississippi.
I hope they get them back to their rightful owner. Thanks for watching. -Mike
My brother is outdide of brand area in Nebraska. He lost cows that to an ex sister in-law who sold his cows at a local sale barn because they were not branded. Ear tag I'd was not enough to prove ownership. Since then he had branded all his cattle.