Time to Re-record Your Brands

By Kristen Tribe

Although you call them Suzie or Big Boy around the ranch, you know that a brand is the true means of identification for your cattle. Beginning Sept. 1, 2001, and going through Feb. 28, 2002, every rancher needs to re-record his or her brand with the county clerk.

Although a new brand can be registered any time, Texas cattle producers are required by law to re-record their brands every 10 years, if they intend to use them, and are given a six-month window to do so.

Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association provides county clerks with a mark and brand application where you designate the location and shape of the brand and any earmarks. Although they're not required to, most county clerks return the applications to TSCRA, but you might ask your local office what they do to ensure your brand is on record with the association, especially if you're not already a member. Returned applications are put in the central filing system, which helps eliminate obsolete brands and makes the information readily accessible in case your cattle are stolen.

Points to remember:

• Don't overlook location. A brand can be registered by more than one person in a county, if they plan to use it in different locations. For the purpose of registration, some ranchers register their brands in all locations, with the intention of using it in only one, to prevent others from using it at all.
   
  This is one way to protect yourself from theft when pasturing cattle on lease. As well, beef quality assurance guidelines suggest that you place your brands in the same area of the animal as you would put a stamp on an envelope.
   
  "The optimum place is high up on the hip, close to the tail head," according to the Texas Beef Quality Producer program, to lessen damage to the hide, which lowers its value. Rib brands reduce the value of the hide as much as $5 to $15 in cull cows.
   
• Register brands in every county where you intend to use it. Therefore, if you run cattle in four counties, you have to register your brand with each of those county clerks.
   
• Register brands separately for horses. If you want to use the same brands on your cattle and horses, that is a separate registration. If you just register it for cattle, someone across the county could register the same brand, in the same place, for his horses.

Each county charges a small fee, ranging from $8 to $17, says Michelle Acosta, TSCRA's market information coordinator. But remember, it's illegal to use a brand without first registering it. Besides, if you fail to re-record your brand during this six-month period, it will become "available" on a first-come basis for anyone else who would like to register it and use it.

Even if you don't own cattle or horses, you can register a brand. For instance, you may have a "family brand" no longer in use that you'd like to maintain for historical or nostalgic purposes.

The re-registration process is simple and can sometimes be completed by mail, but you'll need to check with your local county clerk's office.