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Angus in ncmo

Posted 9/10/2009 21:59 (#842054)
Subject: freeze branding info (and pics)

I was lucky enough today to drop in on a friend while he was having his cow herd freeze branded and he was willing to let me post some info and pics about the process here. Hopefully, he'll register one of these days and start posting here as well.

Bear with me, I'm on slow dial-up connection and it will take a while for all the pics to jump out onto the www.

The preferred alcohol to be used is methanol. Ask a local racecar guy or tractor puller where to get it. This is the cheapest source of good alcohol and it is as pure or more so than the 99% isopropyl alcohol, so it's a no-brainer to use it. Methanol won't 'gel' like lesser grades of alcohol (very important to keep liquid state to cool irons properly).

Alcohol is dumped in cooler large enough for all the irons about 4" deep, (they were using 3 sets today because of how many and how fast they were working the cattle through and the actual number system needing that many sets so the irons could be rotated). Dry ice was added to the alcohol on a regular basis from another cooler to maintain the temp of the alcohol.

Photos will be of the process from beginning to end, but I can't be sure whether they will appear in the right order or not. Process is close to as follows:

Restrain animal in good sqeeze chute to prevent jumping and bucking. With clippers clip hair short but not surgical short or shaved. Using high volume air blower (like used at cattle shows), blow area clean. Saturate area with alcohol by pouring enough alcohol over area or spraying liberally to allow alcohol to run down hide. Apply irons to wet, alcohol-saturated hide and firmly hold for (today it was 1:15 ~ one minute, fifteen seconds in the shade on black cattle that had been standing in the sun prior to entering chute). Different breeds of cattle have varying times needed for freezing.

Excellent learning opportunity for me.