DCC Chronicler

Bradley Troy, retired FAA Air Traffic Controller, and current resident of Longhorn Hideaway is officially the featured "Chronicler" of the ranch. Brad, his wife Denise and son Jason purchased a section of Dickinson Cattle Co Inc (DCCI) and built a unique stone and log home on one of the high hills. Brad is a licensed private jet pilot, 911 dispatcher, Jamboree In The Hills Production Security specialist and now an even higher distinction-----Chronicler!

Since Brad started his home construction he has been in the middle of every DCC ranch job, cattle work, fence stretching, new born calf tagging, feeding during blizzards, up before dawn on frosty mornings and an observer, with camera in hand, of everything. As a result, his graphics captured with a keen professional eye, document a life style and ranching business that may just dwindle away.

The 2007 USDA census records more than 1300 ranches or livestock producers are going out of business per month. Due to increasing government enforcements, potential new taxes, and subdivision of famous ranches, they are riding into the sunset. Each time government employees and salaries increase it becomes harder to employ qualified cowboys.

The census records the largest growth area among livestock producers is owners of 10 livestock or less. The day of glamorous large ranches was in the past.

Famous historic chroniclers of film, photos, art and songs include Will James, Zane Gray, Gene Autry, Ancel Adams, Frederick Remington, and Charlie Russell. These dedicated ones recorded events, words and images of their day. When they preserved details of things they saw and lived, it was not history, it was current events. In this same way, today, Brad is documenting things that will soon end as current, and live to become history. Daily life and tasks at DCC are now just normal stuff, but things and stuff change.

You are invited to be a guest of DCCI, ride the pastures, draw a fresh breath of Ohio air the morning after a slow night's rain, and perceive; this will also be history and you were here when it was just ordinary ranch life.

To view seasons, DCC events and happenings, keep checking the site. It is a living work that will be increased daily as Bradley traps snapshots you won't ever find in downtown New York City, and someday won't find in any rural areas of the USA. Enjoy while you can.

*Permission to reproduce with photo credit to Bradley Troy, courtesy of Dickinson Cattle Co LLC.

Brad feeding Over Kill

RFD-TV

Curious heifers

Dog and Kids

From left to right - Ben, Bry, and Kara Dickinson

Kara

Kara isn't happy

Bry

Bry Dickinson trying to pet calf.

Joel.

Under the dust and dirt is Joel. Some of the ranch is like the Amazon, but can be cleaned and become wonderful pasture land. Opossum, rabbits, coons, turkey, deer and Longhorns enjoy it.

Tempter

Tempter - Tired and used with Joel Dickinson

Every fragile life.

Every fragile life is important and must be saved.

Stuck

At Dickinson Cattle Co. Inc in the Appalachian hills of Ohio calving season is a fun time.Â New calves are born every day.Â The DCC cattle take care of themselves and spend their life outside in the snow, mud and good times of green lush grass. With Texas Longhorn cattle only one birth in over 1300 are assisted so calving season is not a burden like many other breeds.Â The one thing that causes losses is water.Â With over 100 running springs on the ranch there are lakes, small ponds and pockets of water in every pasture.Â It is great for livestock drinking water, but sometimes death for a new born staggering infant calf.Â This was such an account.Â TheÂ new arrival had been struggling in a fresh water spring to get up to her mother and was completely exausted.

Mother

Although the mother was not far away, the straight up closest route was near impossible.Â Just as the calf was getting extremely weakened, a really wonderfulÂ thing happened just in time.

Brad

Brad (Airline Controller) and Denise Troy (CPA)Â are new residence at the ranch private DCC housing development, Longhorn Hideaway.Â As volunteer pasture "checkers" they road up on their trustyÂ Quarter Horse, sired by Polaris, just in the nick of time.Â The fledgling new born was assisted up to her impatient mother for a prompt milk snack.

Super Point

The following day all was well.Â TheÂ 3 year oldÂ cow Super Point by famous Super Bowl (only TL bull to sire 7 over 70" sons) was doing what a good mother does~~~~loving her new baby.Â The heifer is a Shy Streaker daughter.

Kara

Kara AI - "AI takes two educated hands. Two extra little hands helps."

Jake

Jake Levi - Zero below

Morels

DCC is a haven for delicious huge Morel mushrooms

Calves

Follow along the dusty trail of a modern day Texas Longhorn trail drive. Here at Dickinson Cattle Co. Inc, Barnesville, Ohio USA the calves are being born at 8 to 20 per day. For good management, every 3 to 5 days all the calves of that age group are moved with their mothers to a separate pasture. It is easier to check pastures if management groups are separated by pairs, springers and dries. By the end of calving season the DCC pastures will have sorted 40 to 50 pair in 10 to 14 pastures.

Calves

On April 7 twenty calves were born. On April 8 the new pairs were driven 3 miles to a new pasture. About half way, the day old calves just got tuckered out and started dragging toward the rear. As they demanded to "sleep-it-off" in the middle of a public road, the DCC men loaded them into the old ranch truck. Scott became the official baby sitter.

Calves

Each calf has an ear tag with the initials of the sire and name of the dam. All DCC calves are weighed, receive a selenium shot and tagged promptly after birth. Little lives are very important at DCCI. Some will grow to be great impressive specimens. Every precaution is taken for their health and safety.

Calves

These are all Texas Longhorn calves sired by Over Kill, Tempter, Victory Lap, Temptations The Ace, Jamakizm, The Shadow, Super Bowl, and Win Win. They are completely pooped! However, 2 miles is a pretty good stampede for a one day old calf. The 3 and 4 day olds walked the total distance.

Calves

Each calf is unloaded to be optimistically received by the expectant mother at the end of the trail. For those of us north of the fortieth parallel in Ohio, the new grass is just starting. (Ten days ago we had 9 inches of snow.)

Each calf

New mothers

New mothers are now comforted and happy. The calves quickly grabbed an aggressive shot of milk, lay down in the new grass and zonk out. (Note: Don't look at the old truck door--the handle hasn't worked for months, but it opens and closes fine with a bungee cord. That is one way you can tell DCC is not operated by the US government.)