Branding Iron Temperature & Methods

Branding livestock is a tradition that has been present since ancient Egyptian times. A brand is a permanent design impressed on a part of an animal. It serves to identify livestock and assist in preventing theft, loss or disputes. Today, there are a variety of branding methods and one of the most common techniques utilizes a branding iron.

  1. General Process

    • When branding, you must heat the branding iron to a temperature that will permanently singe the flesh of the livestock. When the iron has been heated, the brand is pressed firmly onto the flesh and the handle is rocked slightly. Rocking ensures that the heat is properly distributed and that the brand is not blotched. The appropriate amount of time for a brand to be adequately impressed is three to five seconds.

    Achieving the Optimal Temperature

    • You can heat the traditional branding iron using solid dry wood or a propane bottle burner. When heating the branding iron, it is crucial you observe the color of the iron as it heats. If the iron is black, it is too cold and it will only burn the hair, not leaving a permanent print. If the iron is red, it is too hot and could cause the hair to catch fire or the brand to be blotched. The iron should be the color of gray ashes when it is the appropriate temperature. The only exception is when using copper brands, in which case the iron should show a natural dull copper color when hot.

    Electrical Branding Iron

    • In recent years, electrical branding irons have increased in popularity, and a variety of retailers sell these irons for branding livestock. The heat provided to the iron can be gauged in various ways depending on the equipment, but the temperature should be at 700 degrees or above.

    Other Tips

    • Do not use more than one character per handle, and make all characters proportionate in order to prevent blotching. Keep the animal from moving as much as possible by using a cattle squeeze or manually wrestling the animal to the ground. Do not brand when the hair of the animal is damp or wet. Branding irons will lose heat quickly and could scald the animal. Finally, do not brand over another brand. If another brand exists, impress yours below, above, or behind the existing brand.