Sparks Herefords & 7C Herefords

Sparks Herefords & 7C Herefords Tom and Carol Sparks and family raise Horned Hereford cattle on the plains of southeastern Montana. Gain is tested over a 120 day period.

Presently Sparks Herefords breed with cattle generally unrelated to others in the industry. Some AI is used, but mostly their own bulls are used back in the herd. There has been intense line-breeding, some inbreeding (where genetics manifest themselves quickly), and some outcrosses. Line 1 out of Fort Keogh in Miles City has had a big influence in the herd genetics, but also a line of Herefords fr

om England - Tarrington has been used extensively. In 1966 Frank Sparks purchased one of two Tarrington bred females imported from England to North America. Since then several more pure Tarrington or English females were added. The bull "Wenlock Tarzan" was purchased at the Regina Hereford Centennial Sale to head up the Sparks' Tarrington line of cattle. The Tarringtons are excellent mothers, good milkers and easy keepers, necessary in the extreme environment of eastern Montana. The Prospector line of Herefords has been the most inbred through the years, some as much as 46%. It is a line of cattle began as a study at Colorado Experiment Station in 1947. The cattle kept improving in performance, reproduction, milking ability and exhibited a lot of color pigmentation around the eyes. Today this line is used as an outcross and is related to very few Hereford cattle in the US. Other lines that you will see in the Sparks pedigrees include Tiberius and some outcross lines from other herds in the few bulls we have introduced. Calving takes place in April and early May with weaning in October. Cows and calves are strictly grazing machines with no supplemental feed other than salt and mineral. All heifer calves are wintered with a cut made in the spring and the rest going to breeding pastures. Bull calves are wintered on 40 acres, coming to the barn for the morning ration of malt barley pellets and alfalfa pellets. Bulls are semen tested in early-mid May and sold in February at the Sparks Ranch South of Plevna.

06/23/2026

Pasture Loading Bulls

Ever needed to load a bull on the side of the road or out in a pasture with no corrals, no pens, and no time to set any up?

We’ve all been there.

That’s one reason Will and George always try to pasture-load as many bulls as possible. Whether it’s with a horse, a four-wheeler, or a motorcycle, we want these bulls to learn that loading doesn’t require a fancy set of facilities.

It saves time. It saves effort. And when it’s just you, or you and a kid-it can be a real lifesaver.

More importantly, we want our bulls to be easy to handle when they get to your place. If a bull can be loaded quietly in the middle of a pasture with nothing but open country around him, chances are you’ll have a much easier time handling him too.

A good bull should be more than good genetics. He should be manageable, practical, and fit the real-world conditions most ranchers work in every day.

🐂 Horses, four-wheelers, motorcycles, or on foot—what’s your preferred way to load cattle in the pasture? Let us know in the comments!

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A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has shared photos of your Sparks Herefords and 7C Herefords genetics! 🐂📸We truly enjoy ...
06/21/2026

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has shared photos of your Sparks Herefords and 7C Herefords genetics! 🐂📸

We truly enjoy seeing these cattle working in different environments and operations across the country. Whether it’s a herd bull, a set of calves, replacement heifers, cow-calf pairs, or even an old favorite from years past, every photo tells part of the story.

If you haven’t shared yours yet, it’s not too late! Keep posting photos in the comments. We’d love to see them and hear where they are located, what year the photo was taken, and a little about your operation.

We are incredibly grateful for each and every customer who has put their trust in our program over the years. Thank you for your support, your friendship, and for sharing your success with us.

— Sparks & 7C Herefords
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📣 Calling All Sparks Herefords & 7C Herefords Customers! 📣We need your help!We’re working on a little project and would ...
06/19/2026

📣 Calling All Sparks Herefords & 7C Herefords Customers! 📣

We need your help!

We’re working on a little project and would love to showcase the cattle that are making a difference on your operations.

Do you have photos of:
🐂 Bulls you purchased from us?
🐄 Replacement heifers?
🐮 Cow-calf pairs?
🌱 Calves sired by our bulls?
🏞️ Cattle out working on your ranch?

If so, we’d love to see them!

Please post your photos in the comments below and include:
📅 Year the photo was taken (it doesn’t have to be recent!)
📍 Location
🤠 Ranch name

Whether it’s one favorite cow, a group of replacement heifers, a herd sire, or a pasture full of calves, we’d love to share in your success and see how our genetics are working across the country.

Dig through those photo albums, camera rolls, and old ranch pictures—we’d love to see them all!

Thank you for your continued support of Sparks Herefords & 7C Herefords. We couldn’t do what we do without great customers like you.

06/17/2026

⏳ T-10 Days Until we start sorting for breeding pastures!

The records are out, the notebooks are open, and the planning has begun.

Long before a bull ever gets turned out with a group of cows, there’s a lot of work that happens on paper. Over the next several days, the guys will be hand-selecting which cows go with which bulls, carefully looking at pedigrees, performance records, calving history, disposition, and the goals we have for each breeding group.

We don’t use multi-sire breeding pastures, so every mating is planned with purpose. Each cow is assigned to a specific bull based on the traits we want to maintain, improve, or strengthen in our herd.

By the time sorting day arrives, the hard decisions have already been made. Then comes the physical work of gathering, sorting, and putting those plans into action.

It’s one of those behind-the-scenes jobs that most people never see, but it plays a huge role in the future of our herd.

The next calf crop starts now—with a pencil, a stack of records, and a lot of discussion around the kitchen table.

🇺🇸 Flag Day 🇺🇸Out here, the American flag flies over more than just our home. It flies over generations of hard work, sa...
06/15/2026

🇺🇸 Flag Day 🇺🇸

Out here, the American flag flies over more than just our home. It flies over generations of hard work, sacrifice, faith, and freedom.

Today we celebrate the flag that represents the country we are blessed to call home. A country where families can work the land, raise livestock, worship freely, and pass their way of life on to the next generation.

As we look across green pastures, healthy calves, and wide-open skies, we’re reminded that none of it is possible without the freedoms represented by those stars and stripes.

From all of us at Sparks Herefords, and 7C Herefords ~Happy Flag Day.

May Old Glory continue to wave proudly over our ranches, farms, small towns, and the people who keep them strong.

🇺🇸 God Bless America. 🇺🇸

Bull Selection… Let’s Talk About It!We’ve talked about our tagging system and our calving records, but let’s talk about ...
06/14/2026

Bull Selection… Let’s Talk About It!

We’ve talked about our tagging system and our calving records, but let’s talk about how we decide which calves get the chance to become bulls.

At the end of calving season, we gather all of the information we’ve collected—birth weight, birth date, dam, sire, calving notes, and any observations—and put it all together on paper.
We keep everything organized by tag number so when branding time rolls around and a calf is on the ground, we can quickly look at the records and evaluate the calf in front of us.

Birth weight, dam, sire, and overall appearance all play a role, but that’s only part of the story.

We also ask questions like:

• Did the dam have any issues calving?
• Did she need assistance, or did she calve on her own?
• Does the calf have long, rough hair on its belly that could indicate a nutrition issue?
• What color is the sc***um? If it’s solid white, that calf gets cut.
• Are both testicles present?
• Is he a high-nut calf?
• How is his overall structure and conformation?

All of those factors matter when deciding whether a calf stays a bull or becomes a steer.

Selecting future herd bulls starts long before semen testing, yearling weights, or sale day. It begins when they’re just calves, and every decision is made with the goal of producing sound, functional cattle that will go out and work for our customers.

And remember, this is only the first cut. These calves still have a lot of growing and proving to do before they ever make it to sale day.

What are some of the things you look for when deciding to keep a bull calf?
We’d love to hear your thoughts!

“Good cattle, good help, good food, and good friends—it’s hard to ask for much more than that.” 🐂🤠 That’s a wrap for the...
06/12/2026

“Good cattle, good help, good food, and good friends—it’s hard to ask for much more than that.” 🐂🤠

That’s a wrap for the 2026 branding season!

Address

1515 Plevna Road South
Plevna, MT
59344

Telephone

(406) 853-6758

Website

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