For most, the prize was a drench-backpack with gun, but four winners landed considerably bigger catches, such as Ross Paterson of Waikaka Studs, Gore, who drew the Gallagher weigh scale and data collector prize.
“It’s awesome,” Paterson told Rural News. “It’s a great product to have and to get to play with. I’m pretty enthusiastic about that [recording] side of things.”
While he and his family already use EID to track growth and other traits in their 700 Romney, RomPer, and RomTex stud ewes, plus the 150 Texels, the unit is a definite improvement, he adds.
“This machine is built to do this kind of stuff. The one we’ve got is much older and we’ve upgraded it over the years. I’m looking forward to using this one.”
Paterson won thanks to filling in an online form with the numbers off a couple of 10 litre packs of Scanda, Coopers’ oxfendazole + levamisole combination drench.
“We use a lot of Converge (abamectin + levamisole) but thought we’d mix it up a bit and use another family of actives to make sure we stay clear of any resistance.”
Converge was the Coopers’ product which saw Tennant McNeil, Tahunga, inland of Gisborne, land a Stihl MS391 chainsaw.
“I’m bloody wrapped. It’s a great saw,” he told Rural News.
In partnership with his brother he runs a 50,000 stock unit sheep and beef business on a range of owned and leased properties up the east coast.
“There’s plenty of opportunity on the East Coast, and plenty of opportunity to use a chainsaw!”
Coopers’ first Bumper Season draw also saw a Honda XR125 farm bike and Honda WB20 water pump presented.
The bike went to Southland-based builder and lifestyle farmer, Richard Wilson, while the pump winner was Nancy Craig, of Mt Charles, Herbert, North Otago. Craig admitted she had her granddaughter to thank for her and husband Jim’s windfall.
“She filled it all in for us online. I knew nothing about it until I heard I’d won.”
Coopers’ brand manager, Shelley Reynolds, says the Bumper Season, bump up your productivity and win, initiative is on-going with another 34 winners announced last week (see panel) and the same number of names to be drawn in February.
“Then the 15th of March is the big one. Everyone who has entered in any month will go into the draw to win just one big prize, which will be the farmer’s choice between a Gallagher Sheep Auto Drafter with weigh scale and tag reader, or a Honda Big Red MUV four-wheeler.”
Results of draws to date, and how to enter for subsequent draws, are on www.bumperseason.co.nz
