Freeze Branding

stop thelights

Just wondering if many of ye are actually freeze brand your cows. See a stand at the ploughing selling a product to do DIY branding. Has anyone else ever heard of it or tried this it out. any gud? link www.shoof.co.nz

First thread:D

captainwang

well worth it at €8 a cow :pac:

stop thelights

We always freeze brand em find it handy as our parlour isnt exaclty computerised:D seen a video of it on youtube of it working. Anyone know what it costs or where to get it? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HF9G_FmeYGQ thanks

20silkcut

Just bumping this. Do any of ye here do this. What is the point in it?

Skiup

We have done it in the past but not in a few years as we are moving towards auto id in the parlour soon so no need for it. It is just a method for identifying cows for feeding in the parlour if you are feeding different rates. Rather than having to go climbing to see the ear tag it's in front you. We would generally freeze brand the same number as the tag. Can be handy outside as well for quick id of the cow.

blue5000

Anybody freeze brand sucklers?

weekendfarmer

How long dose freeze branding last ... and Can you only brand on black hair area ?

whelan1

weekendfarmer wrote: »

How long dose freeze branding last ... and Can you only brand on black hair area ?

its permanent, getting mine done tomorrow, yup only on the black area as numbers come out white

weekendfarmer

Yeah ... on the video above they were branding on the white hair, was wondering what was the point of this as you would have to be right close to read it

Timmaay

I'd usually shave the cows fb numbers once or twice a year, but even despite this over the winter or if you have a scoury cow with fluke etc, or one in from a straw bedded shed it can be hard to read the number with muck, so I always have a wire bush in the parlour, very handy to give the cow a light rub to be able to read the number, saves all the hassle of jumping up on the rump bar to read tags!

Had afew cows freeze branded wrongly 2yrs ago (I don't think the chap held the iron in place for the right time, too short and it doesnt freeze the nerves right, too long and it kills them totally). I'm thinking of getting them done again, anyone know if this is possible over the old numbers?

Actually out of interest how many of you dairy lads can say you'd know most of the cows anyways just by looking at them? I have 80 in total, usually at most 60 milking at any one time, and would be able to identify probably 80% of the cows anyways without looking at a tag/fb, less in the parlour I'll admit, any ones I can't I would have it narrowed down to 2 or 3 possible choices of similar looking cows.

weekendfarmer

My fathers bull was stolen there about 2 years ago .... Not sure what was his final fate, but was thinking wouldn't it be a good idea to fb some unusual marking to prevent something like this happening again ?

milkprofit

whelan1 wrote: »

its permanent, getting mine done tomorrow, yup only on the black area as numbers come out white

How much per animal 3 ---numbers

whelan1

milkprofit wrote: »

How much per animal 3 ---numbers

will tell you tomorrow.

Mulumpy

whelan1 wrote: »

will tell you tomorrow.

Its a fiver for three digits with frs and one fifty per extra digit. Great job especially when milk recording and for spotting heifers bulling

delaval

milkprofit wrote: »

How much per animal 3 ---numbers

We pay €5 per head 4 numbers same as for 3. We do incalf heifers in Oct every year

whelan1

€190 for 38 three digit freezebranding