A Brand Book records all
livestock brands registered with an organization. In the U.S. most states have branding laws that require brands to be registered before use. This may be a state agency (usually affiliated with each state's
Department of Agriculture
An agriculture ministry (also called an) agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister f ...
) or a private association regulated by the state. Most states with such laws have a Brand Book for the entire state.
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, an exception, registers brands at the county level. These book are usually provided free to law enforcement personnel and County Extension Agents. Some states have their Brand Books available online.
A typical Brand Book will usually have an image of the brand, the location of the brand on the animal, and the type of animal that will be branded, as well as the owner of the brand. Many Brand Books also record earmarks.
Brand Books are used by law enforcement officials, brand inspectors, and association investigators to record and track livestock movement, deter loss of livestock by straying or theft, and prosecute thieves.
External links
United States
California Brand Book–onlineColorado Brand Book
(ordering information)
Kansas Brand BookMontana Brand Book
(ordering information)
Nebraska Brand Book–online searchOklahoma Brand BookTexas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association
Canada
Alberta Brand Book
online searchSaskatchewan Brand Book–online search
{{Authority control
Reference works
Livestock
Culture of the Western United States
American cattlemen