Livestock Branding - Temporary Branding

Temporary Branding

Temporary branding is achieved by heat branding lightly, so that the hair is burned, but the skin is not damaged. Because this persists only until the animal sheds its hair, it is not considered a properly applied brand.

Some types of identification are numbering systems, neck chains, nose printing, electronic identification, and tattooing. The numbering system is a way to identify animals in a herd. It does this by putting together a letter and number to represent the year born and the birth order. The neck chains are a common way of identification with dairy cattle. The chain is labeled with a tag that has a number on it that goes along with the identification numbers. Nose printing is a common way of identification in the sale ring and at exhibiting show with some livestock. This method is like finger printing: it uses ink and cannot be modified. Electronic identification is where an electronic ear tag, microchip, or collar is placed on an animal by implanting the chip. This is done in case a tag is lost.

There are several methods of temporary branding for goats. Ear tagging, ear tattooing, and microchipping are three of these. These types of branding are usually used on goats under eight weeks of age because regular branding would harm them. Techniques similar to these are also used on sheep.

Temporary branding in ewes can be done with paint, crayons, spray markers, chalk, and much more. These can last for up to several months at a time. The sheep's identification number is painted or sprayed onto their sides or back. However, regular spray paint should never be used. Only paint that is made specifically for sheep should be put onto them. Susan Schoenian