As soon as humanity acquired private property in the form of livestock, there was a need for its designation. To identify animals, people came up with a brand. This is a sign of a certain form, which, usually with hot iron, was burned on the skin of cattle. Healed scars could not be removed, they remained for life.
A bit of history
In countries with huge areas for grazing livestock, the best way to record and determine animal ownership was the brand. This designation was made with the implementation of certain rules. In the USA, after official registration, they received permission to use it. A special state commission ensured that one animal was marked with only one stigma. The violation was the imposition of one brand on another.
It is difficult to say which people were the first to think of such an identification of animals. It is known that even in ancient Greece, especially valuable horses on the groats were branded "Q". According to etymological studies, the "brand" came from the Turkic language, translated as a label or sign.
In European countries, such a distinctive sign served as a kind of passport for horses, clearly indicating at which stud farm they were born. The very first factory brands appeared:
- 1722 - in Gradice;
- 1755 - in Zweibruecken;
- 1768 - in Celle;
- 1787 - in Trakenen;
- 1788 - in Neustadt-Dosse.
In addition to confirming the origin of the horse, the brand served as a kind of quality mark. Over time, many private farms in Europe acquired their own designations. Only in East Prussia before the 30s of the last century there were more than 200 of them. Modern stud farms rarely have their own brand.
In the post-Soviet space, branding was used for livestock accounting. Until now, in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan, they use the old proven grandfather method in distant mountain pastures.
Methods
In addition to cattle, horse stock was also tagged. Horse branding methods:
- Hot. The most ancient way. Hot signs on the animal’s body burned certain signs. It is still used in a number of countries. It is considered painful for the horse. Today they refuse him. In the Netherlands and Belgium it is prohibited by law. Never use hot branding for a thoroughbred horse breed.
- Cold. To cool brands use nitrogen or carbon dioxide. The effect of cold on the cells responsible for the color of the coat provides bleaching of the hair on the treated area. Not for light gray horses. They burn the brand on the hoof. A painless method that does not injure the skin of the animal.
- Tattoo. A tattoo is applied to the mucous membrane of the horse’s lips. Relatively painless type of labeling. The main advantage is that it does not spoil the presentation of the animal.
- Chipping. A progressive option for farm animals has been widely used since the beginning of the 21st century. The most humane of all used to date.
For livestock use additional techniques:
- Plucks. The ears of animals deprive pieces of skin along the edge of the ear and make holes inside with a specially designed key, depending on the location of the pluck and ear (right or left), you can easily read the number of the individual.
- Tattoo. Apply special forceps with a set of numbers. It is placed on the right auricle. For animals of a dark color, indigo or meerk is used.
- Tags. There are various options, the principle is the same for everyone - they are attached to the ears with a special applicator. Instead of tags use collars. The most popular way to identify livestock.
- Burning on the horns. Numbers burn out on the horns. It persists for life. The disadvantage is that traumatic loss of the horn is possible, it is impossible to use for hornless (hornless) cattle.
Technology
The distinguishing mark, as described above, can be put in different ways. The technology of some of them (in the post-Soviet space):
- Hot method. The animal is fixed in the machine, and the usual dump is used, but its use is traumatic. A certain part of the animal’s body is sheared. The brand is heated to 700 ° C and applied to the skin with light pressure for 1-2 seconds, then treated with a solidol or streptocide emulsion. It is important that the iron has the right temperature. With insufficient heating, the brand will be blurred. If excessive - the animal will receive a severe thermal burn, which will heal for a long time.
- The cold method. Using cold ice or a mixture of it with alcohol, the metal is cooled to -80 ° and applied to the skin area that has been previously clipped and rubbed with alcohol. Reliable fixation is a prerequisite. The stigma is held on the skin for at least 60 (foals) for up to 120 (adult horses) seconds.
- Tattoo. It is carried out with special tattooing tongs of different sizes. The mucosa of the upper lip of the horse is rubbed with alcohol and a layer of paint is applied (a mixture of mascara with Dutch soot, in a 1: 1 ratio). They make punctures and rub the same paint mixture into them.
Where to put the stigma
Only good specialists are trusted to burn a brand. This is a mark for life. The appearance, and sometimes the health of the individual, depends on the quality of the work performed.
There are several parts of the body on which it is customary to put labels:
- on the neck under the mane:
- on the hoof;
- on the left or right side of the sacrum;
- on the left shoulder blade - the year of birth and serial number, on the left thigh - the brand of the plant (typical for Russian stud farms);
- on the back, in the saddle;
- left or right thigh;
- in rare cases, cheek.
Hallmarks
There are digital and alphabetic stigmas. Sketches for emblems of farms or factories were specially developed. In Europe, in the 18-19 centuries there were special signs that marked unbred horses. In Central Asia, the richer the owner of the horse, the pretentious was the stigma, sometimes the generic emblem was repeated in it. European brands are associated with heraldry. Modern horse breeders are united in tribal unions, they have their own brand. Each sign had its own meaning:
- antlers of an elk (near the Trakens) - a reminder of the Prussian forests, at that time rich in big game;
- arrow - speed;
- snake - flexibility;
- eagle - power;
- edelweiss - testified to the mountain origin of the breed;
- the crown is a sign of the nobility of the owner of the horse.
Today, for most European countries, a scorched brand is a relic of the past. Modern technologies make it possible to carry out the procedure of “labeling” an animal almost painlessly. The introduction of a microchip takes a couple of seconds, it is not necessary to assemble an entire team of workers to fix the animal. There are no long weeks to heal open wounds after thermal burns. The chip contains all the necessary information about the animal. Special readers for instant identification of any individual.