A Brief History of Cattle Brands

A Brief History of Cattle Brands

A Brief History of Cattle Brands
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 5 to 7
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	6.57

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		ornate, historical, ownership, dated, heated, slash, identify, practice, purpose, properly, ensure, history, early, although, such, certain
	content words:		Ancient Egyptian, Ancient Greeks, Hernando Cortez, New World, Navajo Nation, New Mexico, Cattle Ranch, North Dakota, Reynolds Brothers, Visitor Center

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A Brief History of Cattle Brands
By Joyce Furstenau

¹     The practice of branding can be dated back to 2700 B.C. Ancient Egyptian tombs show branding of oxen with hieroglyphics. Both the Ancient Greeks and Romans branded their cattle with a hot iron. They also marked their slaves the same way. (OUCH!) Hernando Cortez brought cattle stamped with his mark of three crosses to the New World from Spain in 1541.

²     The purpose of cattle branding is to be a visible and permanent mark of ownership. It is used to prevent theft and to identify the owner of a lost animal. It can also provide anyone with the animal's history. Today, brands are registered with a state's brand inspector. Each time an animal is sold, the new owner should get a bill of sale as proof of ownership.

³     Brands are made with the use of an iron that is heated over an open fire. A specific procedure is used to ensure that the branding is safely and properly done. Cattle are usually branded on the hips or ribs, while horses are branded on the hip or shoulder. Many brands are registered. A registered brand always takes precedence over a non-registered brand.

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