Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
It's An Age-Old Custom, But Rules Can Vary From Area To Area
After a long hard winter of below-freezing temperatures, cold lonely nights and heavy snow, everyone looks forward to springtime. Springtime in western Nebraska is a time of spraying fields, planting crops, repairing fences, and branding calves.
Livestock branding is an age-old custom to identify the owner of the animals dating back at least 4,700 years. Proof exists that the Egyptians branded. It can be seen in a tomb painting "depicting a cattle roundup and branding from 2700 BC," according to a Smithsonian.com article.
Melody Benjamin, vice president of member services for the Nebraska Catt...