Cattle theft is increasing in some parts of the country as economic woes continue and livestock prices rise. In 2012, more than 10,400 head of cattle and horses were reported missing or stolen to ...

More than a century ago, cattle ranchers used branding irons to indicate which animals were theirs. As the cattle moved across the plains on their way to Chicago slaughter houses, ...

There were plenty of irons to go after. At its peak, in Arizona alone, more than 29,000 brands had been recorded, Hale stated. Family hobby. Initially, Hale collected in isolation, later saying ...

Modern cattle-branding guidelines call for a brand that's larger than at least 4 inches (10.6 centimeters) long so the scar it leaves won't become illegible as a calf grows — an issue that the ...

A book called “Hot Irons” tells of a Colorado cowboy who, in 1868, surrounded by Indians while he was branding, left a last message on the calf: “7-4-68 “Indians ...

Arizona rancher Jay Platt says when 200 of his calves were stolen by rustlers, the brand on their flanks helped Texas Rangers track them down two states away.

As Mother Nature marks the much-anticipated arrival of spring with warmer, longer days, it too marks the time for ranchers to come together to participate in the annual rite of passage known as ...