52 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN January 2024 BRANDED CONTINUED FROM PAGE 50 when sold, registering new brands and investigating when livestock go missing or are stolen. They are a self-supporting, cash-fund agency that derives their funding entirely from brand inspection and registration fees. There are approximately 33,000 brands registered in Nebraska today. DESIGNING A BRAND Brands were often based off a significant number or letter. Some brands are strung together so that when you read them out loud it comes out as more of a joke, such as the 2 – Lazy 2 – P brand. Once a person decided on a number or letter, they had to decide if it would be “walking” or “flying”, “lazy” or “crazy” or to just leave it in its original form. Brands are read from left to right and have essentially become a language of their own. Brands came not only to signify ownership of cattle but became a point of pride for many families. “There are a lot of people who have absolutely sincere feelings about their brand. They put it on everything, from their business name to their jackets to their license plates,” says Nebraska Cattlemen staff Melody Benjamin. “It’s really important to a lot of people, and it’s part of the western culture.” BRANDING AS A CULTURE Brandings have always been a time for neighbors and community to come together. In the 1800s, cowboys would ride their horses for miles, sometimes over multiple days, to help at brandings. Ranchers relied on their neighbors for help in exchange for a hot meal and the promise to return the favor. In a lot of ways, not much has changed. People travel from near and far to help neighbors and family, with the annual brandings becoming a social highlight. Many ranchers who brand still use hot irons, dragging calves to the fire. Some have switched to the newer technology of electric hot irons and hydraulic calf tables. What remains the same is the sense of community and culture that branding provides to those who still carry on the tradition. “Branding is just a time-honored tradition where we show our pride in our livestock by branding them with the same brands that have been in the family for generations, where we still practice the art of neighboring,” says Brenda Masek, a third-generation Nebraska rancher and 2022 Nebraska Cattlemen president. “We rely on each other to get the work done, but more importantly, we enjoy spending time together. We’re committed to caring for the animals and riding for the brand,” For more history on branding in Nebraska, check out the Noon Bites Lecture: Learn All About Cattle Brands at history.nebraska.gov. ~NC~ 34th Annual Bull Sale Sunday, January 28, 2024 Marty Ropp 406-581-7835 Corey Wilkins 256-590-2487 Jared Murnin 406-321-1542 www.alliedgeneticresources.com Darby and Annette Line 35355 Arrow Rd. Miller, NE 68858 Phone: 308-457-2505 Cell: 308-627-5085 www.trianglejranch.com 1:00 PM (CT) • At the Ranch, Miller, NE Selling 280 Simmental, SimAngus™ & Angus Bulls Nebraska’s Largest Source for Homozygous Black, Homozygous Polled SimAngus™ Genetics All bulls are born, fed and raised from one ranch, giving you the most accurate contemporary groups possible. Bulls will be performance and fertility tested and sale with genomicaly enhanced EPDs. All bulls will be cared for free of charge until April 1. Visit triangleranch.com for additional sale information or call us to request a sale book. TJ Arrowhead 263G ASA 3582558 TJ Gold 274G ASA 3582577
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