Hisham b. Zaid quoted Anas as saying that he went to visit the Prophet when he was in an enclosure and saw him branding sheep. He thought he said it was on their ears.
Anas told that one morning he took ‘Abdallah b. Abu Talha to God’s messenger for him to chew something and rub his palate with it,* and found him with a branding-iron in his hand branding the camels of the sadaqa.
*This was a custom for the purpose of acquiring a blessing for children.
‘Adi b. Hatim told that he said, “Tell me, messenger of God; when one of us catches game and has no knife, may he cut its throat with a flint and a splinter of stick?” He replied, “Cause the blood to flow with whatever you take and mention God’s name.”