Waverley dairy farm managers Linda and Richard Gurnick strike gold

Linda and Richard Gurnick strike gold on the Waverley dairy farm they manage for the Lupton family.

Linda and Richard Gurnick were eight days into mating and doing AI on four dairy farms in Waverley when they struck gold.

The couple have just won $2000 after finding a golden straw in their Artificial Insemination (AI) bank from their breeding company, CRV Ambreed.

CRV inserted five golden straws into five AI banks — three in the North Island and two in the South Island — as distribution of semen straws started ahead of spring mating.

The promotion was part of golden anniversary celebrations, recognising the company's 50th year of proven performance.

Artificial breeding or artificial insemination in cattle is the process by which semen is collected from a bull, stored in a straw and used to inseminate cows, typically during October and November.

More than 10,000 dairy farmers across the country began the spring mating last month. Many of these farmers are breeding for healthy, happy, productive cows, with great temperaments and smaller environmental footprints. A cow's gestation period is about 9 months, so cows inseminated now will calve from July next year.

The Gurnicks are farm managers for Bentwood Farms owned by the Lupton family. They have milked 1150 cows on 300ha in Waverley since July. The couple also carry out AI for three other Bentwood Farms properties.

Two are autumn calving properties with 600-cow herds, with the other a 650-cow spring calving property.

"We got the email about the promotion from CRV, but thought we'd never get this lucky," Linda said.

"Eight days into mating I found the straw in our second AI bank. I thought 'yeah right', that sort of thing doesn't happen to us."

The Gurnicks use mainly Friesian bull sires with many of their heifer calves exported to China, which requires them to have three generations of identification through DNA testing to prove they are purebred.

Linda said using CRV bulls has always made for an easy calving, which takes the pressure off running a high feed input farm.

"We've always used CRV," Linda said.

"We used them when we were doing calf club calves too and they always produced a good type for showing, with nice udders and good feet. They are animals that are going to go the distance."

CRV Ambreed, sales and marketing manager Oceania, Jon Lee, said mating was a busy time of year for farmers and their staff, and they had a lot riding on their AI.

"We hoped this contest would help create a bit of excitement and anticipation in the cowshed. It's also a small way we can show our gratitude. Our sincere congratulations to Linda and Richard on their win."