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The
oldest recorded cattle brand in Colorado is believed to be the "Bar over SS" registered
in the 1884 brand book and belonging to John Sheriff of Hot Sulphur Springs, Colo.,
first recorded by his great-grandmother when she filed on her homestead. Currently,
there are 32,609 registered brands in Colorado according to an article published
in the High Plains Journal of Dodge City, Kan.
Retaining a registered
brand in Colorado is not cheap, costing $225 for a five-year period. A late fee
adds another $100 if you forget and later register during a three year grace period.
A Colorado registered brand is considered private property that can be bought
and sold.
The number of today's ranches in Colorado, like their brands,
is slowly dwindling as many of the most scenic or those adjacent to communities
are being developed into smaller properties. Once a property is subdivided it
usually no longer needs a brand. As of July 1, about 4,000 registered brands had
been canceled for these reasons. Some larger ranches accumulated several brands
as they expanded through the years. With the high cost of registration, many extra
brands are being sold or dropped from the registry.
Supposedly, an 1885
brand is now being offered for sale at $12,000. Some reasons for the pricing of
brands are that the fewer the digits in a brand, the higher the price since fewer
digits mean easier branding, less pain to the animal and those type brands are
becoming rare. Of the 4,000 brands dropped from the registry, some 148 owners
offered their brands for sale ranging in price from $18,000 down to $500. |
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have an interesting brand story about our ranch in New Mexico. After many years
of operations a partner in the ranch was having serious health problems and wanted
to divide the land to make settling his estate easier.
For various reasons
he wanted to keep the old ranch brand so suddenly, we needed a new brand to register.
After two days in Santa Fe searching for a brand not registered, Dad had an inspiration.
He asked if the shape of Texas was registered? The brand people were astounded
to actually find a one-digit brand that was not registered among the thousands
of brands in the brand book. If I remember correctly, it became the only one-digit
brand registered in New Mexico in more than 50 years.
We now had a map
of Texas brand but because of the closed shape it had to be made of light narrow
strap iron, not heated to a cherry red, and applied with brief placements or it
would blotch and not peel correctly. Old-time cowboys called a blotched brand
a "fly-swatter, a map of Mexico or a whang-doodle."
Thanks to the High
Plains Journal for excerpts taken from its article.
© Delbert
Trew
"It's All Trew" January
11, 2011 column
Delbert Trew is a freelance writer and retired rancher. He
can be reached at 806-779-3164, by mail at Box A, Alanreed, TX 79002, or by e-mail
at trewblue@centramedia.net. For books see DelbertTrew.com. His column appears
weekly. | |
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