Cattle Branding Today

By: Jennifer Carrico

In 1865, before Colorado was even a state, there were brand inspections to help prevent theft and straying cattle. The Silver Spur Ranch’s X-C brand dates back to the 1870s at the original ranch in Encampment, Wyoming. The brand has been passed down to be used at the ranch through the years; it has also been registered for use in Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska.

“A few of the other ranches that were purchased to become part of Silver Spur had brands already associated with them, so they kept those brands,” explained Decky Spiller, manager of Silver Spur Ranch Kiowa Creek division. “And other states have different brand regulations as it’s a state agency.” The Silver Spur Ranch Kiowa Creek division is participating in DTN’s View From the Range series, where DTN will follow a year at the ranch to give readers an inside look at how the ranch operates and cares for its animals.