How To Design A Brand
The best rule to follow is to keep the image simple. Simple brand designs are easier to read and are less painful for the livestock.
A brand design consists of 2 or more symbols. Many brands have 3 units in the design. Few brands have more than 3 units.
Brands records include the design of the brand and its position on the livestock.
Left or right:
Brands are based on 4 kinds of marks, used alone or in combination.
- Letter of the alphabet
- Numbers
- Lines and circles
- Pictures
| Letters |
| Regular |
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| Tilting, tumbling or
Toppling |
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| With legs and feet on the bottom, but seldom on round or square-bottomed letters |
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| Winged or flying |
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| Running, denoted by curves |
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| Dragged |
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| Lazy letters, lying face-up or face-down |
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| Crazy, upside down |
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| Numbers |
| Walking |
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| Flying |
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| Dragged |
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| Lazy |
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| Combinations of letters may be joined |
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| Lines and Circles |
| Bar: a short horizontal line that can be used at the top, bottom or middle of a brand |
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| Rail: About twice as long as a bar, may have lettes stitting or resting above it |
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| Two rails |
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| Three rails are read as stripes |
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| Four rails are read as pigpen |
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| Diagonal lines are read as slashes |
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| Bench |
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| Rafter |
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| Diamond |
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| Double diamond |
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| Diamond and a half |
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| Open A, not a half diamond |
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| Box or square |
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| Cross |
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| Circle, or with letters, read as the "O" |
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| A letter inside a circle is read as Circle Letter, such as Circle K, not O K |
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| Double O |
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| Mashed O or goose egg |
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| Buckle |
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| Lapped circles |
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| Half circles |
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| Three links |
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| Quarter circles can point in any direction as long as they stand by themselves |
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| A quarter or half circle attached to the top of a letter or figure is read as swinging |
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| A curved mark attached to the bottom of a ltter is read as "rocking letter," such as a rocking H. |
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| If reversed, lowercase h is attached at a curved mark, it is read as rocking chair. |
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| A letter above a quarter circle is read "letter quarter circle," such as H quarter circle. |
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| The letters C and U often look like horseshoes. |
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| A cross with quarter circles at the ends of all 4 arms is called a "cross wrenches". |
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| Three Cs joined by a bar is read as a "chain C". |
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| Two Cs joined by a bar can be read "C bar C" or "lazy wrench." |
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Brands are read from left to right, top to bottom, from outside in.
Sometimes when the letters or symbols are joined, the word "connected" is included in the reading.
Samples:
However, often the symbols are read as though they were separated by space.
Samples:
Use this site to learn about the livestock brand registration process, how to contact your county clerk and to find the form you'll need to register you brand.
For more information, please call the law enforcement department of Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, 1-800-242-7820. For Oklahoma, go to www.okcattleman.org.
TSCRA traces its beginning to 1877, when a group of ranchers formed an association to combat livestock theft. As the largest and oldest livestock association in Texas, TSCRA represents more than 15,000 beef cattle producers, ranching families and businesses who manage approximately 4 million head of cattle on 51.5 million acres of range and pasture land, primarily in Texas and Oklahoma. TSCRA provides law enforcement and livestock inspection services, legislative and regulatory advocacy, industry news and information, insurance services and educational opportunities for its members and the industry.
