By Jeff Helms

Whether it’s a square, red logo on the bumper of a car or the masthead of a 50-year-old magazine, brands share a common origin — the livestock industry. 

While methods for identifying beef cattle have changed from the days when rustlers pillaged the prairies, Lowndes County cattleman Chuck Madaris said branding remains an important management tool.

“It’s just like insurance for a fire,” Madaris said. “I have never had a fire, but I still have insurance. That’s kind of how I look at brands. Cattle that are branded are not as likely to be stolen because, if you’re caught with a branded animal, you’re done.”

At Madaris’ CK Cattle, branding is a family affair. 

On a steamy August morning, Madaris, son Charlie and grandson Seth Evans readied a vat with dry ice and solvent for a process very different from the red steel and campfires of yesteryear. 

Freeze branding has been around for decades and is becoming increasingly common among seedstock producers who must quickly recognize their livestock’s lineage. 

“The ‘CK’ on our cattle is for ownership. It’s kind of a trademark,” Madaris explained. “The other number is animal identification. We keep records on each animal, and being able to identify that animal is very important.”

The Madaris family uses freeze branding because it discolors the animal’s hair and can be read from a distance.

“You’re basically killing the colored part of the hair follicle,” Madaris said. “It works well on black, red and dark brindle cattle. With a hot-iron brand, you can tell there’s a brand there, but you really have to look at it. You might even have to clip the hair to identify the animal. With freeze branding, you’ve got visibility from 20 to 25 yards.”

The freeze-branding process begins by supercooling bronze letters, numbers and symbols with liquid nitrogen or dissolved dry ice. The ownership brand is placed on the animal’s right side, while the left is reserved for identification. Numbers are animal-specific, while letters indicate the birth year of the calf and/or its mother. An international animal identification system matches letters to years. For instance, 2025 is “N.” The letters I, O, Q and V are not used to avoid confusion with other letters or numbers. 

Once the branding irons are frosty-white, it’s all-hands-on-deck for the Madaris clan. The brand site is trimmed and cleaned. Then, family members hold irons against the hide to achieve a four-digit identifier. A stopwatch is used to assure a clear brand. 

“We’ve determined 55 seconds is a pretty good rule of thumb,” Madaris said. “Liquid nitrogen is quicker, but dry ice gives us a bigger window (and less chance of error).”

The CK crew can brand 12 to 15 head an hour. Each year, they mark 450 animals with their ownership brand and alpha-numeric identification. 

“I’m a firm believer in branding. I think even smaller producers should brand their cattle,” he said. “For most cattlemen, hot-iron branding is more practical. Once you purchase an electric iron, all you need is a source of electricity.”

Andy Tipton with the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries shares Madaris’ support of branding.

“It’s another step in traceability,” said Tipton. “With a registered brand, we are able to identify lost or stolen cattle based on the uniqueness of the brand.”

To be effective, ownership brands must be registered with the state. Madaris recalled the challenge of developing a unique trademark. 

“I wanted to use my initials, ‘CM,’” he said. “There was absolutely no way to do it after looking through the brand book. I had to get creative. I used my wife’s and kids’ initials and had to offset it because somebody had already registered CK side by side.”

Today, the offset CK is not only used on Madaris’ cattle. It’s emblazoned on everything from farm signs to feed bunks. Brands have become so much a part of family legacies, some ranching couples debut their new brand during their wedding ceremonies. 

“A lot of people maintain their registration because that brand has been in the family for 150 years,” Tipton said. “They may not even have cattle, but they want to maintain that brand for their family and farm.”

Alabama has 1,146 registered livestock brands. Tipton said brands can be registered any time but must be renewed every three years. The brand application fee is $20 for the first position on the animal and $4 for each additional location (up to eight). 

Rather than using computer software or artificial intelligence to distinguish the uniqueness of brands, Tipton said Alabama has opted for the human touch.

“It’s important to sit and objectively look at it and see if there are enough differences or say, ‘It’s too close,’” he said. “It’s important to have someone looking at it who understands the beef cattle industry and how brands are applied.”

While cattle theft is uncommon, Tipton and Madaris recalled a case 15 years ago when a ring of rustlers hit multiple ranches in central Alabama. They were caught thanks, in part, to branding.

“We haven’t seen an increase in cattle theft, but with the historic high prices of cattle, there may be some people who look to take advantage of the situation,” said Tipton.

For more information, contact the Agricultural Compliance Section Stockyards and Brands Unit at (334) 240-7184 or agcompliance@agi.alabama.gov.