Activity Books Cattle in Colorado History | Page 11

In Colorado , livestock owners are required to mark their animals with a permanent mark to show ownership . These marks are called brands . The use of branding to identify things dates back 4,000 years . Pictures on the walls of tombs in Egypt show cattle were branded as early as 2,000 BC . In the American West , the Spanish were the first to use branding to identify who owned the cattle . The custom spread quickly to those raising cattle throughout the West . It provided a way to discourage cattle rustling ( stealing cattle ). Someone needed to record these brands . This is one of the reasons why , in 1867 , the Colorado Stockgrowers Association ( later to become the Colorado Cattlemen ’ s Association ) was formed . In the first few months this organization recorded 50 brands . The job of recording and inspecting cattle was transferred to the state government in 1879 . The people who inspect cattle are called brand inspectors and work for the Colorado Brand Board . There are about 30,000 brands registered in Colorado today . In Colorado , brands can be put on any location -- left hip , right hip , ribs or shoulders . The same brand can be used on cattle and horses . In Wyoming brands can be used only in counties where they are registered . They must be placed only in specific locations on the animals , like left hip . Wyoming brands can be used on both cattle and horses . Some states do not require any brands at all . Brands are easy to read once you know how . They are read from the left to the right , from the top down or from the outside to the inside .
How would you read these brands ?
Now that you have the hang of it , create your own brand !