Livestock branding is a technique for
marking livestock so as to identify the owner. Originally, livestock branding only referred to a hot brand for large stock, though the term is now also used to refer to other alternative techniques such as freeze branding. Other forms of livestock identification include inner lip or ear
tattoos,
earmarking,
ear tagging, and
RFID tagging with a type of
microchip. The semi-permanent paint markings used to identify
sheep are called a paint or colour brand. In the
American West, branding evolved into a complex marking system still in use today.