"Hot" Branding Iron for my cattle...............

[Kelley (Texas)]

This is a photo of my "Hot" Branding Iron that I took a few minutes ago on the kitchen table to the dismay of Debbie. I put a towel under it so that it would not scratch the table. My brand "FK" is registered in Gonzales County, Texas and has been since about 1985 when Texas passed a law that stated that if you brand your cattle, your brand had to be registered in any county where you owned cattle. Our ranch in Gonzales County was pretty isolated with the nearest neighbor several miles away, thus it was wise to brand the cattle in hopes that if any were stolen they could be located if sold through an auction.

This branding iron is what is known as a "hot" branding iron because you heated it in a fire and then branded the cow. You had to be careful when using this method because if you left the branding iron on the cow too long the brand would not be readable. Many folks are now branding their cows using a method that is known as "cold" branding. "Cold" branding involves the use of dry ice instead of a fire. This method does not scar like "hot" branding, instead it causes the hair to turn a light color where the branding iron touches the hide.

We always branded the calves at approximately the 205 day mark, when we would also weigh the calves and give vacinations. During this week, lots of time was spent in the saddle flushing calves out of the brush.

I hope that I have not confused you in regards to branding cattle. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)