About 7K
PURPOSE:
1. Produce quality Purebred and Fullblood Tarentaise bulls for ranchers to use on their cattle to produce replacement heifers for their individual herds.
2. Produce quality Tarentaise-influenced bred replacement heifers for ranchers to use in their own herds.
3. Produce quality Tarentaise-influenced steers to finish out in the feedlot or grass-fed operation
The Brand Origins
The 7K brand was created by E. LaVon and Georgia King in 1944 when they moved to Idaho. They ran the Reno Ranch in Eastern Idaho by Mud Lake with his brother until they moved to the McBride Ranch in Western Idaho in the mountains above the town of Marsing. There they continued a commercial herd. In the 1950’s he bought a couple of Charolais bulls to try and improve his genetics.
E. LaVon and Georgia had 4 children. Gary the oldest worked the ranch with his parents. Gary married his wife, Lois, and continued to work the ranch with his parents until he decided to go to college. During the summers, Gary sent his oldest son, Andrew, to work with LaVon and Georgia on the ranch.
Upon retiring in the 1970’s LaVon passed the brand to Gary, who was living in Notus, Idaho, and continued to run cattle with his son, Andrew. Gary worked the 7K in the evening and weekends until he retired, at which time he turned fulltime working along side Andrew and his grandkids.
Andrew married Jeannie in 1980 and had 4 children: Andrew, Gary, Georgia, and Lea. Andrew left the family operation for a time to go to college. Before college he was given his start of 80 commercial cows that they inherited from LaVon. He took the 80 head and started trying to improve the genetics with bulls that he would purchase with Gary. Until the late 80s they used just bulls to improve the cows they had. In 1988 they bought Tarentaise cows.
As Andrew's kids got older they contributed to the operation also. Andrew and Gary took on farming and haying for a time. Georgia and Lea focused heavily on the cattle. Find that showing was a way to help advertise.
Up until spring of 2022 there has always been 3 generations working the 7K.
Why Tarentaise For Us
Like his grandfather and father, Andrew proceeded to work on the cow-base of his herd. He hoped at first Limousin would be the cow-base they were needing. Over the next couple of years, Andrew found that there were specific traits he wanted and needed in the cow. They were: (1) strong maternal instincts, (2) early maturing heifers, (3) a high bred-back percentage, with the philosophy that other qualities can be bred back into a cow. The most important trait being the cow raised a calf every year. The hunt for a new breed was on.
His research produced Tarentaise. The highly favored muscling found in the Limousin was lacking in the Tarentaise, but the quality cow-base traits were easily met. In 1988 7K Livestock bought its first 8 Tarentaise cow-calf pairs from Rocky Mountain Tarentaise out of eastern Montana.
We have since noted other qualities such as their ability to travel and scrounge in harsh conditions that has cemented our belief in the breed. We have grazed the cattle in several different conditions and sometimes from one extreme to another. While in Notus, Idaho the cattle ran on irrigated pasture and swampy river bottom ground. When the opportunity came to get some range ground in the early 2000’s we jumped on it. The range ground was 15,000 acres on the Mountain Home, Idaho desert. The cattle were required to travel at times 2 miles to water and did so without hesitation. The cattle were often found in the far reaches of the property and seldom found near the water in the middle of the day. In the winter they would run on corn stalks, hay, and silage.
As most we spend a generous amount of time studying the cattle that we have and found that in any size field whether it be 10 acres or 15,000 acres the cattle travel the fields they are in, in a rotation. Utilizing the whole pasture instead of random sections. Seldom do we ever manually move from pasture to pasture. We open the gates and they move themselves within 12 hours of the gate being open. The positives of this allows us more time and helps the cattle to stay calm and stay fat and happy.
When manually moving the cows their attitudes are ones that like routine. Once they have run the routine once they tend to remember it. Whether it is coming into a corral out of a field or loading on a truck to be moved they move easily. Pending on the size of the field 1 or 2 people can move the cows with little effort.
Showing Cattle
In 1992 we started showing cattle. We started with a single half-blood steer at the local fair through the 4-H program.
In 1996 we showed our first 3 Tarentaise heifers.
In 2002 we were showing about 10 heifers and cow-calf pairs between Georgia and Lea. That same year we went down as the first 4-H and FFA members to take 18 month old bulls to the Canyon County Fair.
In 2003 we started showing at the Idaho Junior Beef Expo in Filer, Idaho and fitting camps to learn how to compete at a different level. Along with showing FFA at the Canyon County Fair and Western Idaho Fair.
By 2019 we were showing 46 head of Purebred and Fullblood Tarentaise bulls, heifers and cow-calf pairs in State Fairs across the northwest. We spent about a month traveling with our cattle showing what this breed can do.
In 2005 we drove down to Denver, Colorado with 3 heifers and 2 bulls to compete in the National Tarentaise Show at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo. We showed at the National Tarentaise Show until it was permanently cancelled in 2010 increasing our numbers to 15 head of bulls and heifers.
In 2020 all shows were canceled due to the political climate of the time. By 2022 we called it quits with the shows because of drought and an accident that took place in 2021, causing us to cancel that year also.
The Herd
Today 7K Livestock has well over 100 head of Fullblood and Purebred Tarentaise cattle. We have both Red/Black and Polled/Horned Purebreds and Fullbloods.
We sell bulls and heifers private treaty all over the continental US.
Currently, we are building a strong Tarentaise-influenced commercial herd. Helping to service those wanting a good commercial cow-base. With that herd we have been crossing with the Charolais breed working toward a ⅞ Tarentaise ⅜ Charolais. We are currently seeing the results of this breeding program and am very impressed with it.
We have been working on our herd since 1988. From improving the muscling in our bulls to our heifers. We plan on continuing improving our herd. We believe in the Tarentaise breed. We believe that the fundamentals of the breed are the most important aspects of it. That is why we Strongly believe Tarentaise cows to be:
“The mother that every calf should have.”
MEET THE TEAM
Andrew and Jeannie King
Andrew and Jeannie were married in 1980. They both grew up in the Treasure Valley outside of Boise, Idaho. In 2018 they moved to the Magic Valley north of Twin Falls, Idaho. Andrew is a Certified Public Accountant and Jeannie is his secretary. They own an accounting practice and have been raising cattle since they were married. They have four wonderful children and 6 grandchildren.
Georgia King
Georgia is a mobile large animal veterinarian. With 7K, she manages the herd health and breeding programs. She has a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from Brigham Young University-Idaho and a DVM from Washington State University. Go Cougs!
Lea King
Lea is the 7K farm manager. Her duties are pasture, crops, equipment management, and advertising. She has an Associates of Agriculture from College of Southern Idaho and a Bachelors of Science in Agricultural Education from Brigham Young University-Idaho.
