I think the new hip brands in Alberta can only be two irons. One on top of other. Which should fit better than three horizontally.I have a rib brand and hip brand. I do not like a hip brand for calves. In my case my hip brand is -x- which is long enough that it's difficult to get it on right. It takes a great deal of attention on the part of the wrestlers and the person with the iron to get it on straight. It works much better on yearlings and cows. Many hip brands turn into the old "blotch scab blotch" unless its a very good brand like Sopaweed's.
I'll take a big rib brand any day that grows with the cow and ends up 18" tall by the time they are full grown. Makes it easier on my aging eyes.
We had an old neighbour that had the C hanging C brand as a horse brand, and it was placed on the jaw. I thought it was a wonderful looking brand. Years ago I tried to register it as a cattle brand but they would not let me have it.Our brand is CC, second C is hanging from the top C, so called a C hanging C. Mr. FH likes it because it is really one iron, easily put on and really easy to see on the cows when you are horseback. It never blotches.
We have Lazy K X, laying down K with X underneath, it's a rib brand but we are going to sell it. We also have Mr. FH grandfathers brand, X Tuning fork, looks like and X with a modified Y underneath, rib brand also. But we will never sell that, it will be passed on down.
Best rib brand we know is a Dutch X. Kind of like a C back to back and when the cow matures it goes from top to belly of the cow. But the owner switched to a hip brand long ago because there was some resistance to it, due to damage of the hide.
In Alberta you can't use a reverse c or mono reverse C on cows. They won't let you do much like years ago you could design most anything. Now I think they want something that can be typed quick on a keyboard. You can still do an anchor,quarter circle or half diamond,but no tuning forks and stuff like that.Our brand is CC, second C is hanging from the top C, so called a C hanging C. Mr. FH likes it because it is really one iron, easily put on and really easy to see on the cows when you are horseback. It never blotches.
We have Lazy K X, laying down K with X underneath, it's a rib brand but we are going to sell it. We also have Mr. FH grandfathers brand, X Tuning fork, looks like and X with a modified Y underneath, rib brand also. But we will never sell that, it will be passed on down.
Best rib brand we know is a Dutch X. Kind of like a C back to back and when the cow matures it goes from top to belly of the cow. But the owner switched to a hip brand long ago because there was some resistance to it, due to damage of the hide.
Wow thats sure different. Never heard tell of that. I guess the lions eat the legs and neck last?( joking)For interest, on the subject of hide damage, in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe, we were paid a premium for branding on the neck or lower leg, I always had my registered brand on the right side of the neck, with the birth date code on the left.
I make the brand part of my irons out of stainless. Seems better than steel because it doesn't get as hot.How you build a branding iron helps too. Mine is an H and when I made the iron I left half inch gaps where the horizontal bar meets the two vertical bars. The residual heat makes a nice H and it doesn't blotch. We brand on the hip and I like it there. But neighbors rib brand And it works well if it's a one or two character brand.
I have a stainless H brand I made and I love it. Makes a nice clean brand.I make the brand part of my irons out of stainless. Seems better than steel because it doesn't get as hot.