Livestock Services of Saskatchewan

Cattle Brand Registration Specifications

Brands for use on cattle shall consist of at least two characters, each measuring at least three inches (75 mm) in height and two inches (50 mm) in width when applied to such animals.

Brands for use on cattle may be applied to the shoulder, rib or hip position on either the left or right side of the animal.

The Canadian Cattlemen's Association Quality Starts Here program has advised that brands placed on the rib can downgrade the hide value by almost 20 per cent. The Association's suggested brand locations include the hip (as high and as far back as possible) or the shoulder, recognizing that there are other reasons that affect the decision to maintain or register a rib brand. No fee is required if you wish to transfer a rib brand to an available hip or shoulder position.

Horse Brand Registration Specifications

Brands for use on horses shall consist of one or more capital letters of the English alphabet, Arabic numerals or other acceptable characters, or a combination of capital English alphabet letters, Arabic numerals and other characters. They should measure at least two inches (50 mm) in height and one inch (25 mm) in width when applied to such animals.

Brands for use on horses may be applied to the shoulder, hip or jaw position on either the left or right side of the animal.

Reading Brands

Brands are read from top to bottom, left to right. A brand must be applied to the animal in the exact position, and as drawn or described by the computer on the certificate. Brands should be applied as high as possible on the animal.

Components of a Brand Design

Character Registration Specifications

The following characters are acceptable components of a registered brand design:

• Capital letters of the English alphabet, except the letter Q
• Arabic numerals, except the numerals zero and one
• A triangle
• A diamond
• A bar in the horizontal position that is applied above or below any letters or numerals, or, before, after or between the letter(s) or numeral(s)
• A cross or plus
• A flying wing
• A shelter symbol, as prescribed in The Feeder Associations Loan Guarantee Regulations, 1989, or The Breeder Associations Loan Guarantee Regulations, 1991
• A slash that is applied at a 45 degree angle to the left or right of a letter or numeral
• A quarter circle that is applied above the letters or numerals of a brand with the ends of the arc pointing upward, or, below the letters or numerals of a brand with the arc pointing downward
• A half diamond that is applied above the letters or numerals of a brand with the apex pointing upward, or, below the letters or numerals of a brand with the apex pointing downward.

The capital letters C and E of the English alphabet shall only be registered in the forward position.

The capital letters M and W of the English alphabet are to be registered only in the upright and forward position.

The capital letters F and G of the English alphabet shall only be registered in the reverse position.

Capital English alphabet letters and Arabic numerals applied in the horizontal position are classified as lazy characters.

The capital letters N, I, U and V of the English alphabet cannot be lazy.

The capital letter L of the English alphabet and the Arabic numeral 7 cannot be lazy right.

Additional Identification by Arabic Numerals

The holder of a registered brand may, to facilitate individual animal identification and without registering such numerals, apply one or more Arabic numerals immediately below the registered brand.

Unclassified Brand Designs

An unclassified brand is any brand in which the letters, numerals or characters are joined or enclosed in any manner or that is coded in the special category code.

Upon approval of the minister, an expired, unclassified brand design can be re-registered in the name of the person in whose name the brand design was originally registered, or in the name of a member of that persons immediate family.

Abbreviations

To condense the contents of the book, the following abbreviations are used:

New Brand Registrations

Application for a registered brand should be made prior to purchasing any branding equipment. This is necessary to ensure that the brand desired is not already allocated or otherwise prohibited.

Although many brand designs appear in this registry, not all of them would be acceptable to be registered as new brands under the current regulations. Please refer to the sections on Cattle and Horse Brand Specifications and Components of a Brand Design for guidance on selecting a brand design or position.

Those wishing to register a brand may obtain an Application to Register Brand form from the local Livestock Inspector, a Regional Office or Livestock Services of Saskatchewan, Regina. A copy of this form can also be downloaded by accessing our public forms using the link provided below.

• Forms

Submit the completed application form and prescribed fee to:

Livestock Services of Saskatchewan
2365 13th Avenue
Regina, Saskatchewan S4P 0V8
Phone: (306) 546-5086
Fax: (306) 546-1277

Brand Renewals
Brand renewal notices are sent out in November of the year your four-year brand will be expiring. If you wish to continue using this brand, please return the renewal form along with the prescribed renewal fee, or your brand will be cancelled, and it will be illegal to continue to use it.

Brand Transfers
A brand can be transferred to another person by using an Application to Transfer Brand form, which can be obtained from your local Livestock Inspector, a Regional Office or Livestock Services of Saskatchewan, Regina. A copy of this form can also be downloaded by accessing our public forms using the link provided below.

• Forms

Please submit the form with the appropriate transfer fee to:

Livestock Services of Saskatchewan
2365 13th Avenue
Regina, Saskatchewan S4P 0V8
Phone: (306) 546-5086
Fax: (306) 546-1277

Brand Registration Fees

Fees for registration of a new brand:

• $50.00 to register an approved brand for a four-year term
• $600.00 to register an approved brand for a lifetime
• $600.00 to register an approved brand for a corporate lifetime (20 years)

Fees to renew a brand:

• $50.00 to renew a four-year brand
• $600.00 to renew a four-year brand as a lifetime or corporate lifetime brand

Fees to transfer a brand (from the present owner to another):

• $50.00 to transfer a four-year brand
• $50.00 to transfer a lifetime brand to four-year brand
• $50.00 to transfer a lifetime brand to remaining registrant(s)
• $600.00 to transfer a lifetime brand to another person
• $600.00 to re-register a lifetime brand to another person

No fee is required if you wish to transfer a rib brand to an available hip or shoulder position.

Errors in Branding

Where the registered owner of a brand has knowledge that the brand has been applied incorrectly to animals owned by that person, the person shall provide, to Livestock Services, a Declaration of a Branding Error form describing the branding error.

One copy of the declaration should be retained by the registered brand owner for presentation to the Inspector at the time of inspection or when such animals are offered for sale or are being transported.

All communications concerning errors in branding should be directed to the District Inspection Manager or to Livestock Services.

Most agricultural supply stores and large animal veterinary clinics are dealers for the major branding iron manufactures. It is common practice for the dealer to request proof from the person placing the order that he or she is the registered owner of the brand.

The Animal Identification Act

The Brand Regulations

The Livestock Dealer Regulations, 1995 (the Regulations) set out the criteria for licensing requirements. A Livestock Dealer licence is required by any person who buys or sells livestock or who offers to buy or sell livestock in Saskatchewan, on his or her own account or on account of some other person, whether he or she buys directly from producers or from others having livestock for sale, regardless of the use to which the livestock is to be put. Licensing exemptions within the Regulations pertain to any person who operates a farm or ranch and who purchases or sells livestock solely in connection with that operation if that person retains title of each head of livestock purchased for at least 30 days from the date of purchase.

Those wishing to obtain a livestock dealer licence must submit a completed license application form along with a statutory declaration indicating the number of livestock intended to be purchased within a twelve-month period, the applicant must also obtain a livestock dealer's bond as prescribed by the Regulations

Applicants may submit the completed application form, statutory declaration, livestock dealer bond and prescribed fee to:

Livestock Services of Saskatchewan
2365 13th Avenue
Regina, Saskatchewan S4P 0V8

For information with respect to obtaining a livestock dealer licence, please direct your inquiries to the Brand Registrar:

Phone: (306) 546-5086
Fax: (306) 546-1277
E-mail: brands@lssc.ca

Every person who applies for a licence or a renewal of an existing licence shall pay a fee of $200.

The term "livestock agent" means an agent or representative of a livestock dealer; A livestock dealer is accountable and responsible for the acts of his or her livestock agents.

A list of licensed Saskatchewan livestock dealers can be found on this website, if you require assistance or additional information you may contact the Brand Registrar:

Phone: (306) 546-5086
Fax: (306) 546-1277
E-mail: brands@lssc.ca

Note:
It is a requirement for every licensee to ensure that his or her licence is displayed at all times in a conspicuous place in his or her business premises.

A licensee shall:
(a) have in his or her possession at all reasonable times a valid official identification card in the form issued by the department and signed by the minister; and
(b) produce the card mentioned in clause (a) when requested to do so by an inspector or person with whom he or she is doing business.

For information on acquiring a Livestock Dealer Bond contact your local insurance broker.

Animal Products Act

The Livestock Dealer Regulations, 1995

Livestock transported to SK from any jurisdiction where inspection is legislated will be expected to have been inspected at origin. Inspection documentation must accompany the livestock to SK and must be provided to LSS on demand.

Livestock transported to a farm or feedlot in SK from a non-inspection jurisdiction are not typically required to be inspected on arrival unless those animals are being purchased by a SK licenced livestock dealer on arrival (versus prior to arrival in SK) or are to be mixed with previously inspected animals and to be presented as previously inspected at a future point. For this reason, SK feedlot operators often require inspection documents accompany incoming cattle. LSS will inspect these cattle on arrival on request and may also be available to inspect in MB prior to transport.

Cattle moving to a feedlot in SK from within SK are not necessarily inspected unless the cattle have been sold to a licenced livestock dealer for resale to a feedlot customer. In other words, if the animals are traded through a dealer, inspection is required. A private sale transaction does not require inspection, although purchasers may demand one and LSS will inspect on request. 

Inspection is required on all cattle/ horses leaving SK, whether there is a change of ownership or ownership is retained. Depending on the destination, inspection will occur either at origin in SK or on arrival at certain inspection sites (public markets) in AB by LIS. Manifest information from shipments to AB is shared back with LSS. LSS has a memorandum in place with MB Agriculture to allow for LSS to be present and provide inspection on arrival at markets and dealer facilities in MB.

Due to high volumes at processing plants, lack of staging/ inspection space, speed of commerce and the effort to minimize handling cattle immediately prior to processing, slaughter cattle will be inspected by LSS at origin in SK. Slaughter plants in AB, MB or the USA are not defined as sites where inspection of SK origin cattle would take place through our inter-provincial inspection agreements.

LSS is operated by the same group of knowledgeable individuals that performed the services prior to the transition from the provincial government to a non-profit in 2013. As part of the transition agreement, LSS staff were transferred across to the new organization to carry out LSS responsibilities. LSS is based out of its headquarters in Regina and has a province-wide network of 66 inspectors operating out of a variety of office locations, primarily auction markets. LSS operates under the authority of The Animal Products Act and The Animal Identification Act.

No. Livestock brand inspection services, which ensure animals offered for sale are rightfully owned and verified through a brand registry, have traditionally been provided in Saskatchewan through Ministry of Agriculture livestock inspectors. This government role was unique; no other agricultural commodity purchased or sold in Saskatchewan has a government service verifying ownership. Both Alberta and British Columbia have industry-delivered livestock brand inspection. Manitoba has no brand inspection.

LSS is owned and operated by the five main livestock producer groups requiring inspection services. The groups governing LSS Corporation are the Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association, Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association, Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association, Saskatchewan Horse Federation,and Livestock Marketers of Saskatchewan. LSS will work to provide more efficient brand inspection in the province.

The goal of LSS and the Government of Saskatchewan was to achieve a seamless transition, virtually unnoticed by producers. In the short term, there have been no significant changes to service activities. In the longer term, the producer groups who own LSS will guide and direct the development of the organizational business plan which will address the changing needs of producers and the industry.

Fees will continue to be assessed on an ongoing basis as a normal course of business, as they have been. As a member owned non-profit, LSS will continue to manage its operations to rely on revenue generated from services provided to recover the costs associated with providing those services. No additional profit will be built in to the rates in the proposed structure.

No. The provincial government continues to be responsible for legislation governing livestock inspection. The authority to carry out the duties of the legislation was transferred to LSS on January 1, 2014. Ministry staff responsible for livestock inspection services were transferred to the new organization. The provincial government continues to work with LSS to ensure a smooth transition. Once the transition is complete, LSS will begin to operate independently without intervention on behalf of its membership.