46 BULLETIN 1089, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
The solution is to adopt the plan of cooperative herds proposed 
by the Bureau of Education, each under a single brand, in which 
the owner has a percentage holding. Under this arrangement each 
owner will be given his pro rata share of the total fawn crop, based 
on the total number of his does in the herd ; and the burden of loss 
and expense of running the herd, as well as the increase, will be pro- 
portionately divided among all the owners. 
Marking all fawns alike in a herd under the percentage owner- 
ship system is to the best interests of the herd. Marking fawns 
according to the mother involves the use of the old roping method 
and handling the herd in a corral for long periods, resulting usually 
in injury to the animals. On the other hand, marking by percentage 
involves the use of the chute instead of roping, and, in addition to 
speeding up operations, insures good results and largely eliminates 
injury. 
BRANDING. 
Trimming or notching the ears of a reindeer is unsatisfactory as 
a means of identification, and, as previously mentioned, such a mark 
may be altered with comparative ease. A brand on the skin, being 
less easily changed, is preferable. To try out this method, two year- 
lings were branded on April 30, 1921, at the Unalakleet station, with 
a hot iron, one on the jaw and the other on the hip. The hair was 
clipped, and the brand in the form of a U was applied lightly. 
The lesions healed rapidly and the hair began to grow very soon. 
In August of the same year, when the animals were brought back 
to the station from summer grazing, it was found that the jaw brand 
had been a complete success, a clear white U being plainly visible 
(PL XVIII, Fig. 1). The brand applied to the hip did not show 
quite so plainly, but was a sufficient mark for practical purposes. 
Fourteen other animals were branded during the month of August, 
1921, for later observation. These were all branded on the hip, 
since this promises to be the best location for branding for easy 
observation when the animals are on the range or are being driven. 
In these cases the hair was not clipped. In one or two instances, 
owing to the heavy growth of hair, the brand did not come quite 
clear and had to be retouched. This, of course, is bad practice. 
With a little more experience it is felt certain that the brand can 
be applied successfully at one operation. 
Previous attempts at branding in Alaska had not been successful, 
probably because too much force was used in applying the iron, thus 
driving it through the skin. Some animals are reported to have 
died following the operation. Reindeer skin, as is the case with all 
heavily coated animals, is very soft and thin, and consequently 
branding must be done deliberately and carefully. 
