Why Freeze Branding Is ID Of Choice For Many Commercial Ranches

By Heather Hamilton-Maude Sep 09, 2014

Freeze branding is considered the method of choice by many registered and commercial producers alike. It has the ability to leave permanent, highly visible brands that can be read at much greater distances than ear tags or many hot-iron brands.

Whether to identify ownership or individual animal identification, freeze branding is becoming increasingly popular for its permanent ID attributes offered in an easy-to-read and eye-appealing white package.

“For us, freeze branding is first and foremost a marketing tool we hope will aid us capturing more value — we want people to see our red or black-hided cattle and know that because of that brand, there is value under that hide. Secondly, it’s a risk-reducer from a theft prevention standpoint. Plus, we really like the way it looks on the animal,” says John Kleiboeker, a southwest Missouri commercial cattleman who recently implemented a freeze-branding program in his herd.

For registered Brangus producer Bart Carter, the decision to begin freeze branding his cattle in 1997 was multi-faceted as well.

“For one thing, it just looks cool. That white brand on a black-hided animal has a lot of eye appeal. Plus, we run our cows in about 40 sections, and clarity and ability to read a brand and cow number from a long distance was one deciding factor. We can also keep track of our breeding records right on the cow with freeze brands, and never lose that information,” he explains.

Key considerations
Several key considerations ranging from proper animal preparation to specific branding techniques can help producers achieve nearly 100% readable freeze-branded characters.

“The body condition of the animal is huge,” says JT Guest of a major factor that will affect brand quality, regardless of the brand application technique that is used. Guest is based in Wyoming and professionally freeze-brands thousands of head annually across the Western U.S. He says he consistently produces 95% or higher “very readable” digits.

“When I’ve freeze-branded thin cattle, the brands show up very faint or not at all. Make sure the cattle are carrying plenty of condition,” he continues.

Taking your time is the second-biggest component that impacts brand quality, according to Guest. He recommends placing one iron on the hide at a time, and carefully timing the correct number of seconds based on the brand method chosen.

“Other factors include the facilities and time of year. If it’s too warm, you’ll have to keep the irons on longer and adjust accordingly. In northern states, many guys go by the rule of thumb that you don’t freeze brand before Thanksgiving or after Easter, although I’ve done it into the first of May and not had the warming temperatures cause variance.

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“In addition, good facilities should be used out of the wind, so the weather won’t affect the temperature of your irons, and the chute needs to be something that can aid in holding the animal still. Animals also have to be dry for freeze branding to work successfully,” Guest explains.

Commonly used methods of freeze branding include using a combination of dry ice and 99% isopropyl alcohol, or liquid nitrogen.

“Liquid nitrogen is nice in that it allows you to go a lot faster — you keep irons on the hide for 14-25 seconds, vs. 50-60 seconds with the dry ice-alcohol method. However, I use the dry ice-alcohol method because the brand is a much brighter white. Plus, it’s more forgiving in that, if you happen to stay on the hide too long, the brand will still show up. If you stay on too long with liquid nitrogen, even say five seconds, that brand will burn the hide and be more like a hot-iron brand, and the hair won’t turn white,” Guest says.

Source: (Fuente) http://m.beefmagazine.com/ranch-management/why-freeze-branding-id-choice-many-commercial-ranches?page=1