More than just a pretty brand

By Lorenzo Lasater, President

A pretty brand on a pretty bull … but there is a lot more to the story.

We will start with history: My great-grandfather first registered the L Bar brand in Brooks County, Texas, in 1890. My immediate family has used it continuously since 1964 in northwestern Mexico and West Texas. We currently have it registered in the 12 Texas counties in which we operate.

Mechanically, we use 4” L&H Electric Irons. I have experimented with every alternative, such as 3” brands, freeze brands, no brands, etc. My dad always let me experiment, and I always had to come back and say the way we had done it my whole life was the best.

The key to effective branding lies in the numbering system. Using this photo as an example, the top number is the year of birth (2020). The second and third numbers indicate this is a male calf out of a mature fall-calving cow. I can tell sex, calving season and whether it is out of a first-calf heifer or a cow on every animal, even on paper.

A four-digit series allows for 1000 calves in given year. It’s not that we have 1000 calves (I wish!), but it allows for a very organized approach to ID within different herds as described above.

Branding is critically important to preventing theft; visually managing cattle; and establishing permanent visual ID for banks, partners and breed associations. Plus, it plays a major role in marketing. Having a simple, well-thought-out strategy that allows room for growth is very important.

Isa Beefmasters is very proud of the “L Bar” and the history and genetic progress it represents.

Get your complimentary subscription