A comparative physiological and behavioral study of freeze and hot-iron branding using dairy cows.

A public debate has recently arisen, largely surrounding the issue of pain, over whether freeze or hot-iron branding should be the preferred method of permanently identifying cattle. This study addressed that question by quantifying the following accepted measures of distress and pain over a 25-min sampling period: elevated heart rate, concentrations of cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine, and escape-avoidance reactions and vocalizations. Twenty-four dairy cows (15 Holsteins and 9 Jerseys) were assigned to one of three treatments: freeze-branded (F), hot-iron-branded (H), or sham-branded (S), in which a room-temperature brander was applied. Plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine concentrations showed no discernible trends. Plasma cortisol concentrations were elevated in the F and H cows from 5.5 min to 25.5 min postbranding (P = .04). Heart rate, analyzed as a proportion of the prebranding mean, showed that H cows had a greater, more acute, response than did F cows (P = .04), which exhibited a more prolonged response (P = .07). No cows vocalized during branding; however, H cows had a greater escape-avoidance reaction toward branding than did the F and S cows. Both methods of branding produced elevated heart rates and cortisol concentrations indicative of pain sensations. Because the cows exhibited a greater escape-avoidance reaction and heart rate proportions to hot-iron branding, freeze banding would be preferable to hot-iron branding when feasible.

Behavioral and physiological effects of freeze or hot-iron branding on crossbred cattle.

Twenty-seven crossbred calves (1/2 Simmental, 1/4 Hereford, 1/4 Brahman) averaging 257 +/- 11 d of age were either hot-iron-branded (H), freeze-branded (F), or sham-branded (S). Calves were blocked for temperament, weight, and sex and were randomly assigned to day and order in which treatments were applied. To reduce stress from handling at treatment time, each calf was herded through the squeeze chute daily for 5 d before the experiment. Jugular cannulas were inserted in each calf 1 d before application of treatment. Blood samples and heart rate measures were obtained at -5, -3, 0, .5, 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, and 20 min after application of the treatments. Mean concentrations of plasma epinephrine (EPI) were higher for H calves at time .5 min than for either S or F calves (P = .10). To account for individual differences, prebranding heart rates and hormone concentrations were subtracted from subsequent samples and were also used to calculate a proportion for each subsequent sample. Analyses of subtracted values found that EPI concentrations were greater for H calves than for either S or F calves (P = .007) at .5 min postbranding. No other differences were found for the subtracted analyses. Analyses of proportion data also revealed that H calves had greater EPI than did either S or F calves (P = .027) at .5 min postbranding. Only three animals vocalized during branding, one H calf and two F calves. Despite the 5-d acclimation period, handling and restraint elevated plasma cortisol concentrations and heart rate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)