About Us
Our Journey to Irish Blacks
Terry is a licensed veterinarian and developed a passion for cattle and ranching. As a fifth generation rancher, Terry's roots in ranching life run deep. In fact, his grandfather brought some of the first black cattle to Madison County, in southwestern Montana, in the early 1900's.
In 1997, Terry and July made the decision to close their family-run veterinary practice in Alder, Montana, to pursue cattle ranching full time. Terry and Julie eventually bought a ranch, Todd's No Creek Ranch, near the tiny town of Cohagen, in Eastern Montana. The ranch was located in Garfield and Rosebud counties and encompassed over 53,000 deeded and leased acres of short grass prairie. The No Creek Ranch was a grass/cake outfit with minimum input costs.
In 1997, Terry and July made the decision to close their family-run veterinary practice in Alder, Montana, to pursue cattle ranching full time. Terry and Julie eventually bought a ranch, Todd's No Creek Ranch, near the tiny town of Cohagen, in Eastern Montana. The ranch was located in Garfield and Rosebud counties and encompassed over 53,000 deeded and leased acres of short grass prairie. The No Creek Ranch was a grass/cake outfit with minimum input costs.
The No Creek Ranch is where Terry initially began his quest to develop a "perfect cow". Dr. Todd realized that a cow must be able to utilize the forage that is in her environment with minimal purchased supplemental feeds. He developed moderate framed, good-doing Angus cattle. They survived primarily off the short grasses of the prairie.
On an August, 2009 trip to Colorado, his search for a better cow led Terry to Irish Black cattle. Dr. Todd was intrigued by the thickness, depth, and muscling of the Irish Black cattle and knew the breed would be a benefit to the Angus base that he had developed. After studying Irish Blacks further, he purchased registered Irish Black seedstock and decided to breed all of his commercial cows to Irish Black bulls.
The Todd Ranch sold their commercial cow herd, along with their Eastern Montana ranch, in 2012. Terry and Julie kept a fullblood base of Irish Blacks upon returning to the Ruby Valley where the rest of their family resides.
On an August, 2009 trip to Colorado, his search for a better cow led Terry to Irish Black cattle. Dr. Todd was intrigued by the thickness, depth, and muscling of the Irish Black cattle and knew the breed would be a benefit to the Angus base that he had developed. After studying Irish Blacks further, he purchased registered Irish Black seedstock and decided to breed all of his commercial cows to Irish Black bulls.
The Todd Ranch sold their commercial cow herd, along with their Eastern Montana ranch, in 2012. Terry and Julie kept a fullblood base of Irish Blacks upon returning to the Ruby Valley where the rest of their family resides.
