Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
The brand registry, made up of more than 19,000 active livestock brands, that Rusty Hawryluk looks after is of great significance to more than a few ranchers.
"Many of these brands almost have a personality of their own. They tell a story, much like an Egyptian hieroglyph might-through symbols. They tend to mean something. They can be associated with a family or ranch name, or a geographical location or landmark."
Hawryluk is Registrar of Brands and Licensing at Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food.
"Brands are not only part of the identity of the operations to which they belong, they are also the equivalent of an animal's 'return address.' Sometimes, an animal will make its way into another herd for a number of reasons. A brand ensures the animal is returned to its rightful owner."
Brands are useful in more ways than one. When animals are sold at the market, each brand has to be accounted for.
Because animals tend to be more mobile in this day and age, due to modern means of transportation and the need for producers to sometimes graze their animals on pastures farther away, there may be even more of a need for brands today than in the past.
"We are raising more animals than before, and this requires that we market them in larger numbers. Brands provide a way to easily identify these cattle," Hawryluk says.
While electronic means of animal identification have been on the rise during the last few years, it seems brands are here to stay.
Registering a brand costs $25 for a four-year registration or $200 for a lifetime registration. For more information about branding, contact Hawryluk at Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food at (306) 787-4682.
For more information, contact:
Rusty Hawryluk
Registrar, Brands and Licensing
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
(306) 787-4682
The brand registry, made up of more than 19,000 active livestock brands, that Rusty Hawryluk looks after is of great significance to more than a few ranchers.
"Many of these brands almost have a personality of their own. They tell a story, much like an Egyptian hieroglyph might-through symbols. They tend to mean something. They can be associated with a family or ranch name, or a geographical location or landmark."
Hawryluk is Registrar of Brands and Licensing at Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food.
"Brands are not only part of the identity of the operations to which they belong, they are also the equivalent of an animal's 'return address.' Sometimes, an animal will make its way into another herd for a number of reasons. A brand ensures the animal is returned to its rightful owner."
Brands are useful in more ways than one. When animals are sold at the market, each brand has to be accounted for.
Because animals tend to be more mobile in this day and age, due to modern means of transportation and the need for producers to sometimes graze their animals on pastures farther away, there may be even more of a need for brands today than in the past.
"We are raising more animals than before, and this requires that we market them in larger numbers. Brands provide a way to easily identify these cattle," Hawryluk says.
While electronic means of animal identification have been on the rise during the last few years, it seems brands are here to stay.
Registering a brand costs $25 for a four-year registration or $200 for a lifetime registration. For more information about branding, contact Hawryluk at Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food at (306) 787-4682.
For more information, contact:
Rusty Hawryluk
Registrar, Brands and Licensing
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
(306) 787-4682
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