When did the practice of branding livestock begin in the U.S.?
Jim Martin
Waco, Texas
Branding of livestock dates to the Egyptians to around 2,700 BCE. The practice spread to Europe during the Middle Ages and was introduced in today’s Southwestern U.S. by Spanish and later Mexican vaqueros in the 1500s. Open ranges made branding essential for ranchers to identify their cows during a roundup where cattle from many ranches were gathered.
Gregorio Villalobos and Hernán Cortés introdu
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