In this area, I can't recall ever seeing a branded cow.
Really? Lots of stockmen around here brand. There are also a lot of guys out at night messing with their cows. Years ago a local prankster called my Uncle up about 2am and said his cows were all out. He and my other Uncle spent the rest of the night out looking for them. Turned out they were laying down in this pasture just out of eyesight. The guy who called knew that. Lots of reasons to be out herding cattle at 2am.
Maybe I spent too much time in the milk barn?
All my buddies that run momma cows back home and over here just ear tag.
It's probably a regional thing.
Pretty much everybody around here brands their cows and calves.
What happens when a cow loses her ear tag(or someone cuts it out)? Zero way to identify.
We always have a couple slick calves in the Fall though. Little 500 acre pasture close to home where we will turn out a few late calvers in the Spring. They calve out in the pasture and we brand the calves this time of year.
Yesterday we sorted up a few yearlings and found 3 slicks. Took a minute to remember why they didn't have a brand.
