Page 131 - Hereford Magazine 2021

Working together for

better Herefords

Colraine heifers on the Corney property at Ohaupo.
F or the past decade, two South Auckland club

members have worked together to make the best
use of resources and opportunities to grow their
studs – Kanuka and Colraine.
After first meeting on a South Auckland club
mini tour in 2007, Robert, Rosalie and Andrew Russo of
Kanuka, and Colin and Sue Corney of Colraine, formed the
CK Herefords partnership. This was further strengthened
by Colin and Andrew’s involvement with the NZ Herefords’
ambassador programme and them both being elected
members of the NZ Herefords council.
Both studs are based just south of Hamilton, with Colraine
on 14 hectares at Ohaupo, and Kanuka running 24ha at Te
Pahu, on the slopes of Mt Pirongia about 30 minutes to the
west of Ohaupo.
Colraine Herefords registered its first calves in 2007 after
purchasing a line of heifers from the Graymar Stud, with
select females added to the herd over the following years.
Kanuka Herefords was founded at Rotokauri, just west Robert Russo shows one of his granddaughters how quiet the
of Hamilton, by Robert and Rosalie in 1994, with Andrew Kanuka cattle are.
getting in on the action soon afterwards, purchasing his
first stud cow as a teenager in 1996. They moved to Te Pahu reach, notably the purchases of Beef Expo champion bull
in 2004, which allowed an increase in herd numbers. The Waikaka Skytower 1329, and Craigmore Opium 10 214, who
day-to-day running of the cattle is in the hands of Rosalie after finishing natural service with CK went on to produce
and Robert, with Andrew working as a production animal more than 25,000 semen straws in the dairy industry for
veterinarian in nearby Te Awamutu. Liberty Genetics. This collaboration with other breeders has
Andrew recalls a quote from a fellow Hereford breeder that since gone to another level, with CK Herefords joining forces
resonated with him and has influenced the CK Herefords with some of New Zealand’s larger herds to identify and
partnership: ‘As a small breeder you often can’t afford to use source new overseas genetics to bring into New Zealand.
the best genetics but also as a small breeder you can’t afford Young stock are run on a leased block of land that is central
not to use the best genetics.’ With this quote in mind, right to both studs. The CK heifers are run as a single mob from
from the early stages of the partnership artificial insemination weaning in March through until selection of replacements and
(AI) has been used heavily within both cow herds and in the sale of surplus animals the following March. The weaner bull
yearling heifers to speed genetic gain. In 2020, 45 cows were calves currently remain on the home properties from weaning
programmed and artificially inseminated, with 38 AI-sired until sale in September as yearlings, allowing Rosalie and
calves due to start hitting the ground from late July 2021. Sue to maximise growth rates through winter to reach target
Working in partnership has also allowed the purchase of weights of 450 to 550kg.
bulls and genetics that might have otherwise been out of The continued use of top genetics and the extensive AI

Year 2021 HEREFORD MAGAZINE 129