Episodes
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How do Australian and New Zealand farmers stay competitive when the rest of the world is changing faster than ever?
For our guest this week, Richard Green, it starts by accepting that yesterday's thinking will not solve tomorrow's problems.
"It frustrates the hell out of me when I hear us talk about 'We're the best farmers in the world.'" explains Richard. "And we may have been, but that's a moment in time. There's so much change, progress and disruption happening around the world. We're only as good as how we were yesterday, and every day we've got to improve."
Richard's recent travels gave him new insight into where the world and the red meat sector are going. He explains the concept of a hybrid consumer where some people are shopping for experiences and absolute luxury... And then there are the "normal" people who shop at the value end who still want quality, but want as much value within that as possible. And, as Richard explains, the "middle" has been completely hollowed out.
"Commit to volume and efficiency, or commit to a genuine premium value proposition. Half-measures won't cut it." explains Richard. "If you're competing on a commodity, compete hard and be exceptional at it. If you're not, build a differentiated supply chain with genuine partners - offshore, in-market, and at the processing end."
He explains how the South American commodity powerhouses have been doing it well, by scaling their surpluses into global supply chains and manufacturing, and how we could take some lessons from them.
Mark and Richard also cover Cultivate Ventures, the growth fund Richard chairs. Born partly from a goal he set himself, Richard realised money made in the industry wasn't going to flow to the farmers, it was going to flow to where the capital returns- aka the investors.. So they decided they had to invest in these disruptive businesses to ensure farmers got their share of the success.
They finish the conversation discussing the relationship between physical challenge and business mindset. Richard is no stranger to an intense physical challenge. He has run the Kepler, one of New Zealand's great walks (that usually takes 3 days) in a day, and ridden the length of both islands by bike.
"If I'm challenging myself physically, it helps me be more positive about life..." he explains. "It just realises that you are as an individual capable of a lot more, and if you realise that, then it helps you drive your businesses to be capable of a lot more too."
Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited.
We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best: [email protected].
Thanks to our sponsors at MSD Animal Health and Allflex, Heiniger Australia and New Zealand, and ProWay Livestock Equipment. Please consider them when making product choices, as they are instrumental in enabling us to bring you this podcast each week.
Check out the MSD range HERECheck out Allflex products HERE
Check out Heiniger's product range HERE
Check out ProWay's product range HERE
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Long before performance recording became mainstream, George Fell's grandfather was building a sheep breeding programme around growth, efficiency and measured performance on pasture. Unable to find the genetics he wanted, he created them himself.
Today, that same mindset runs through everything at Fell's Yorkshire farming business. Alongside the Meatlinc sheep breeding programme, the family operates a diverse farming enterprise that includes Premier League-level turf production, free-range eggs and dairy beef finishing.
In this episode, George joins Mark to discuss the origins of the Meatlinc breed, the role performance recording has played in its development, and the current state of the UK sheep industry. They also discuss how a sheep breeding business evolved into one of the UK's leading turf producers and why the same principles of performance and continuous improvement underpin both enterprises.
George is also Chair of the Sheep Breeders Round Table and discusses this year's conference, where Mark will be a guest speaker.
UK Sheep Breeders Roundtable Conference 2026
Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited.
We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best: [email protected].
Thanks to our sponsors at MSD Animal Health and Allflex, Heiniger Australia and New Zealand, and ProWay Livestock Equipment. Please consider them when making product choices, as they are instrumental in enabling us to bring you this podcast each week.
Check out the MSD range HERECheck out Allflex products HERE
Check out Heiniger's product range HERE
Check out ProWay's product range HERE
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Missing episodes?
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What does a cow actually cost to run?
At Kerin Ag, every kilogram of utilisable feed has a value attached to it. That allows Joe Kerin and the team to measure whether an animal is genuinely paying its way.
In this episode, Joe joins Mark to discuss how putting a dollar value on each kilogram of grass they grow led them to choose Wagyu over Angus. As any Kerin would, Joe has done the numbers and compared Wagyu cows with larger recipient cows, based on the weaning weight of their calves relative to the kg of dry matter consumed by the cows. And, as predicted, the moderate-sized cow is far more efficient than the larger Angus X recipients.
Joe also discusses the role of genomics in Wagyu breeding. As they are a breed with a very narrow gene pool and are bred for carcass-related attributes, genomics is incredibly important, and Joe utilises it to its fullest.
Tune in to learn how to turn grass into money - this time with cattle.
Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited.
We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best: [email protected].
Thanks to our sponsors at MSD Animal Health and Allflex, Heiniger Australia and New Zealand, and ProWay Livestock Equipment. Please consider them when making product choices, as they are instrumental in enabling us to bring you this podcast each week.
Check out the MSD range HERECheck out Allflex products HERE
Check out Heiniger's product range HERE
Check out ProWay's product range HERE
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Few people have had a front-row seat to the genetic improvement of New Zealand sheep quite like our guest this week, Simon Buckley.
After growing up in Whangārei and starting his farming career at Castlepoint Station, Simon joined Wairere Romneys and has never left. Four decades later, he has helped one of New Zealand's most influential sheep breeding programmes through the transition from visual selection and paper records to EID, genomics and data-driven breeding.
In this episode, Simon chats with Mark to discuss the history of Wairere and the long-term thinking required to make meaningful genetic progress. They also discuss maternal instinct, breeding sheep for commercial conditions, the challenge of balancing innovation with market demand, and the lessons he's learnt from those who have travelled through the "University of Wairere".
Grab a coffee and sit back and enjoy this one - it's a goodie!
Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited.
We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best: [email protected].
Thanks to our sponsors at MSD Animal Health and Allflex, Heiniger Australia and New Zealand, and ProWay Livestock Equipment. Please consider them when making product choices, as they are instrumental in enabling us to bring you this podcast each week.
Check out the MSD range HERECheck out Allflex products HERE
Check out Heiniger's product range HERE
Check out ProWay's product range HERE
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Most sheep producers assume their drenches are working. Chloe Frank's job is finding out whether they actually are.
After discovering how few producers in her region were monitoring worm burdens, Chloe launched Central Stock Health while still at university. She now travels from farm to farm delivering on-site worm egg counts and helping producers make better management decisions.
In this episode, Chloe joins Mark to discuss the challenge of drench resistance in Australia and why better information is often the missing piece in sheep management. She explains why the delays associated with traditional testing methods mean many producers still are not testing, and how her on-farm service is helping farmers access real-time results.
Chloe and Mark also discuss how she built a business from the ground up while still at university. Chloe also highlights the multiple opportunities available to young people in agriculture. However, in recording this podcast, it is obvious that her passion for making a positive, practical difference to the Ag industry has played a significant role in her success so far.If you want to get Chloe on your team, get in touch through her website here:
https://centralstockhealth.com/
Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited.
We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best: [email protected].
Thanks to our sponsors at MSD Animal Health and Allflex, Heiniger Australia and New Zealand, and ProWay Livestock Equipment. Please consider them when making product choices, as they are instrumental in enabling us to bring you this podcast each week.
Check out the MSD range HERECheck out Allflex products HERE
Check out Heiniger's product range HERE
Check out ProWay's product range HERE
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This week on the podcast, Ferg introduces James Trowbridge, the newest consultant to join the neXtgen Agri team.
James grew up in South Australia working alongside his parents, Margie and Bill Trowbridge, in both Merinos and the family artificial breeding business. After working across a range of farming and agribusiness roles around Australia, James now joins the neXtgen Agri team, bringing with him a strong practical background in sheep production and genetics.
If you want to get James on your team, get in touch at: [email protected]
Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited.
We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best: [email protected].
Thanks to our sponsors at MSD Animal Health and Allflex, Heiniger Australia and New Zealand, and ProWay Livestock Equipment. Please consider them when making product choices, as they are instrumental in enabling us to bring you this podcast each week.
Check out the MSD range HERECheck out Allflex products HERE
Check out Heiniger's product range HERE
Check out ProWay's product range HERE
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What does it take to build the data systems that sit behind your genetic evaluations?
This week on the podcast, Ferg catches up with Dan Garrick from Helical. Dan grew up on a sheep, beef and venison farm in the Manawatu before moving to the US at 13, where he went on to complete a PhD in aerospace engineering at Iowa State University. He's the son of Professor Dorian Garrick, one of New Zealand's most respected animal breeding geneticists, and his grandfather was one of the world's leading experts on sharks, making Dan a third-generation PhD.
Dan explains how the same maths used to model fluid dynamics around rockets is used to generate breeding values, and how he ended up joining the family business in 2017 to help roll out some of the first production single step evaluations in the US for American Hereford and IGS. That work quickly revealed a major bottleneck in managing the genomic data flowing in from DNA testing labs. That's where Helical was born.
Ferg and Dan talk through how Helical now serves breed societies, genetics companies, universities and labs across beef, dairy, sheep, horses, dogs, aquaculture and forestry. They also look ahead at where things are going. From decision support tools and AI in commercial herds, to the potential for wearable devices like virtual fencing collars to generate entirely new breeding values nobody has thought of yet - both Dan and Ferg agree the future is bright for Agriculture.
Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited.
We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best: [email protected].
Thanks to our sponsors at MSD Animal Health and Allflex, Heiniger Australia and New Zealand, and ProWay Livestock Equipment. Please consider them when making product choices, as they are instrumental in enabling us to bring you this podcast each week.
Check out the MSD range HERECheck out Allflex products HERE
Check out Heiniger's product range HERE
Check out ProWay's product range HERE
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Jane Kellock joins Mark to talk through the production and business decisions that have shaped their Merino operation in South Australia’s Mid North. From running a non-mulesed flock for more than 20 years to building a breeding programme focused on lamb survival, Jane explains how genetics, condition scoring and lessons learned from attending previous LambEx conferences have helped their business through some brutal seasons.
Jane also discusses the importance of making strategic decisions before drought hits, why mixed farming regions risk losing livestock knowledge, and what producers can expect from LambEx26.
Tickets available here: https://www.lambex.org.au/tickets
Earlybird tickets finish Friday, the 15th of May.
Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited.
We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best: [email protected].
Thanks to our sponsors at MSD Animal Health and Allflex, Heiniger Australia and New Zealand, and ProWay Livestock Equipment. Please consider them when making product choices, as they are instrumental in enabling us to bring you this podcast each week.
Check out the MSD range HERECheck out Allflex products HERE
Check out Heiniger's product range HERE
Check out ProWay's product range HERE
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Matt Hood on farm succession, agribusiness banking, and building better farm businesses.
Based in Marlborough, Matt has worked across sheep and beef, dairy, and viticulture businesses in both New Zealand and Australia, with a focus on succession planning, equity partnerships, and helping farm businesses make better decisions around people, capital, and structure.
Matt explains where he sees the gap between being good on the tools and being good in business. As businesses grow, priorities shift to managing people, finances, and decision-making, and that is often where performance stalls, especially during succession.
On that note, succession is a major passion for Matt. Not just how to transfer assets, but how to run the process properly by having early conversations and making sure there is actually a business worth passing on, alongside a strong emphasis on purpose, both for the next generation coming in and for those stepping back.
Matt also explains what the good, strong businesses he's come across consistently do well. It usually comes down to a good understanding of numbers, avoiding surprises, and keeping emotion out of decision-making.
Matt and Mark also discuss what "good" looks like from a banking perspective and how to build up a good relationship with your bank so that you can work together for the success of everyone.
This is an hour every farmer needs to listen to.
Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited.
We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best: [email protected].
Thanks to our sponsors at MSD Animal Health and Allflex, Heiniger Australia and New Zealand, and ProWay Livestock Equipment. Please consider them when making product choices, as they are instrumental in enabling us to bring you this podcast each week.
Check out the MSD range HERECheck out Allflex products HERE
Check out Heiniger's product range HERE
Check out ProWay's product range HERE
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You'd never ignore your interest rate, so why aren't you tracking your genetic gain?
This week, Ferg catches up with Chad Taylor for an update on what has been happening at Mumblebone and the recent work around footrot and feet structure they have been involved with as part of the 'Genetics of foot health in Merinos' project.
Ferg and Chad also discuss genetic gain at Mumblebone and how it is being pushed in practical terms. For example they are using ram lambs more heavily, joining ewe lambs, using genomics and utilising custom indexes in selection decisions.
Chad also explains why genetic gain should be tracked and questioned just as closely as interest rates, because both compound over time and have a direct impact on the long-term performance of the business.
Finally, Ferg and Chad discuss what supports all the progress they're making on-farm. Chad is very keen on building the right team and aligning people with the direction of the business, and he shares the impact of bringing staff into the bigger picture by "opening the books" so they know how the business operates financially.
It's always a pleasure to have Chad on the podcast. Tune in to hear a top operator's approach to breeding great sheep.
Links:
Precision Sheep HQ: https://www.precisionsheephq.com/feed
'Genetics of foot health in Merinos' project cull ram challenge: Email [email protected]
Mineral basics for healthier stock and higher returns: https://thehub.nextgenagri.com/c/events/mineral-basics-for-healthier-stock-and-higher-returns
Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited.
We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best: [email protected].
Thanks to our sponsors at MSD Animal Health and Allflex, Heiniger Australia and New Zealand, and ProWay Livestock Equipment. Please consider them when making product choices, as they are instrumental in enabling us to bring you this podcast each week.
Check out the MSD range HERECheck out Allflex products HERE
Check out Heiniger's product range HERE
Check out ProWay's product range HERE
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This week, Mark catches up with Will Barton from Gundagai Meat Processors (GMP) to chat about what has changed since his last appearance on the podcast and where things are heading next for Gundagai.
Gundagai has built a reputation for doing things differently, with a clear focus on eating quality and how that is measured and paid for.
Will explains how a focus on eating quality, particularly intramuscular fat, has shaped their grid, and why balancing that with lean meat yield and animal health has been critical to maintaining consistency. Will also explains their feedback loop between processor and producer. With full EID integration now in place, the ability to link on farm decisions directly to carcass outcomes is no longer theoretical and is now happening at scale.Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited.
We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best: [email protected].
Thanks to our sponsors at MSD Animal Health and Allflex, Heiniger Australia and New Zealand, and ProWay Livestock Equipment. Please consider them when making product choices, as they are instrumental in enabling us to bring you this podcast each week.
Check out the MSD range HERECheck out Allflex products HERE
Check out Heiniger's product range HERE
Check out ProWay's product range HERE
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This week on the podcast, Mark chats with Carol Mudford to talk about her unconventional path into the shearing sheds and the work she is now doing to help improve mental health across the industry.
Carol grew up around sheep but never planned to pick up a handpiece, starting her working life in nursing before COVID and family circumstances brought her back to the farm. When she was ready to return to nursing, Carol moved into mental health nursing within a rural suicide prevention programme, combining her experience from both the sheds and healthcare with the idea of forming a charity. After losing multiple people in the industry to suicide in a short period, her idea came to life much sooner than she expected.
Now the founder of sHedway, Carol is working across Australia and New Zealand to improve awareness, reduce stigma, and give shearers practical tools to look after themselves and each other. Carol shares practical signs to look for when someone might be struggling, how to step in, and why being “helpfully nosy” can matter more than people think.
This podcast episode discusses suicide. If you are struggling or know someone who may be struggling, support is available through local mental health and crisis services in your area.
Australia:
Lifeline Australia: Ph 13 11 14 and text 0477 13 11 14 Web- https://www.lifeline.org.auBeyond Blue: Ph - 1300 22 46 36 - https://www.beyondblue.org.auNew Zealand:
Samaritans Aotearoa New Zealand: Ph - 0800 72 66 66 Web - https://www.samaritans.org.nz/Lifeline New Zealand: Ph 1737 or 0800 543 354 Web: https://www.lifeline.org.nRural Support Trust: Ph 0800 787 254 Web- https://www.rural-support.org.nz/UK:
MIND Ph: 0300 102 1234 Web- https://www.mind.org.uk/Other:
1000 Hearts - https://1000hearts.com.auShedway Official Website - https://shedway.org.auHead Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited.
We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best: [email protected].
Thanks to our sponsors at MSD Animal Health and Allflex, Heiniger Australia and New Zealand, and ProWay Livestock Equipment. Please consider them when making product choices, as they are instrumental in enabling us to bring you this podcast each week.
Check out the MSD range HERECheck out Allflex products HERE
Check out Heiniger's product range HERE
Check out ProWay's product range HERE
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Bea Litchfield is Managing Director of Hazeldean, a sixth-generation family seedstock business running both Merino and Angus studs alongside commercial operations.
Hazeldean is a large-scale seedstock business, and they produce around 600 Angus bulls and 400 Merino rams each year for clients across all kinds of environments. Their tough environment allows their stock to be put to the test and their rigorous focus on fertility, structure, temperament, growth and carcass has meant the Hazeldean name is well known around Australia.In this episode, Bea and Mark discuss their approach to breeding seedstock, which involves harsh winters and a LOT of data recording.
The family has innovation in their blood at Hazeldean, so it's no surprise that Bea is excited about where emerging technology, including AI and on animal monitoring, may take farm businesses. She and Mark discuss this, amongst other things.
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If you would like to help us reach our goal of raising $52,000 to fund vital cancer research, visit the link below:
https://fundraise.curebraincancer.org.au/fundraisers/markferguson/twentysix2000
If you would like to join the Strava club, visit this link:
https://www.strava.com/clubs/TwentySix2000?utm_campaign=club_share&utm_content=1858801&utm_medium=widget&utm_source=thehub.nextgenagri.com
Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited.
We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best: [email protected].
Thanks to our sponsors at MSD Animal Health and Allflex, Heiniger Australia and New Zealand, and ProWay Livestock Equipment. Please consider them when making product choices, as they are instrumental in enabling us to bring you this podcast each week.
Check out the MSD range HERECheck out Allflex products HERE
Check out Heiniger's product range HERE
Check out ProWay's product range HERE
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Join Mark and our guest this week, Dr Shane Thomson, to discuss some key points around reproductive performance in cattle.
Shane is a veterinarian and partner at Holbrook Vet Centre in southern New South Wales, leading a team of 10 vets across a practice that's roughly 90% beef production.
Cattle reproduction work is at the core of what Shane does daily, and in this episode, he and Mark cover pretty much everything. Including bull soundness, AI, embryo transfer, IVF, how to improve pregnancy rates in beef herds, what a pre-breeding bull soundness evaluation actually involves, how to prevent pestivirus and other reproductive diseases, when IVF makes more sense than conventional ET, and the role of sexed semen in beef operations.
Shane and Mark wrap up their chat by discussing what he thinks are the biggest untapped opportunities in beef production.
This episode is a goldmine for any beef producers wanting to understand their herd's reproductive performance.
Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited.
We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best: [email protected].
Thanks to our sponsors at MSD Animal Health and Allflex, Heiniger Australia and New Zealand, and ProWay Livestock Equipment. Please consider them when making product choices, as they are instrumental in enabling us to bring you this podcast each week.
Check out the MSD range HERECheck out Allflex products HERE
Check out Heiniger's product range HERE
Check out ProWay's product range HERE
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This week on the podcast, Professor Wayne Pitchford joins Mark Ferguson to discuss all things cow condition.
Wayne has spent more than three decades at the University of Adelaide working across animal breeding, genetics and livestock production, and is currently Director of the Davies Livestock Research Centre.
Wayne and Mark discuss his recent research on the relationship between early body measures and adult traits like fertility and condition score, including why young animal data explains only a small part of cow performance. They also cover fat distribution across different depots and what that means for selecting more efficient and resilient cattle.
Wayne and Ferg also talk through how you should interpret feed efficiency, carcass traits, muscularity and hip height to breed the right cow for your business.
Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited.
We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best: [email protected].
Thanks to our sponsors at MSD Animal Health and Allflex, Heiniger Australia and New Zealand, and ProWay Livestock Equipment. Please consider them when making product choices, as they are instrumental in enabling us to bring you this podcast each week.
Check out the MSD range HERECheck out Allflex products HERE
Check out Heiniger's product range HERE
Check out ProWay's product range HERE
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This week on the podcast, Mark (Ferg) catches up with Andrew Kennedy (Ox) and Darren Gordon (Cat) to reflect on their early years together as well as the career and influence of Dr Andrew “Thommo” Thompson. The episode is part of Podcasthon, supporting efforts to raise awareness for brain cancer research.
Ferg, Cat and Ox reminisce about the early days of the Lifetime Ewe research project and the realities of running a large-scale sheep research under the legendary Andrew Thompson. This was before the use EID, which meant recording thousands of pasture measurements and condition scores by hand.
That work, which began as a project focused on wool follicles, ultimately reshaped how the sheep industry thinks about nutrition, twin survival and ewe management. The research helped change the language we use around feed, energy, and condition score, and drove widespread adoption of better management strategies across Australia.
Tune in to hear some great stories from the early days of these research trials with a few untold yarns about the situations these three managed to find themselves in.
This is not one to miss!
If you would like to help us reach our goal of raising $52,000 to fund vital cancer research, visit the link below:
https://fundraise.curebraincancer.org.au/fundraisers/markferguson/twentysix2000
If you would like to join the Strava club, visit this link:
https://www.strava.com/clubs/TwentySix2000?utm_campaign=club_share&utm_content=1858801&utm_medium=widget&utm_source=thehub.nextgenagri.com
To find out more about Podcasthon, visit this link:
https://podcasthon.org/
Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited.
We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best: [email protected].
Thanks to our sponsors at MSD Animal Health and Allflex, Heiniger Australia and New Zealand, and ProWay Livestock Equipment. Please consider them when making product choices, as they are instrumental in enabling us to bring you this podcast each week.
Check out the MSD range HERECheck out Allflex products HERE
Check out Heiniger's product range HERE
Check out ProWay's product range HERE
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Choosing replacement heifers shapes the productivity of a breeding herd for years to come.
This week on the Head Shepherd podcast, James Starling joins Mark Ferguson to discuss the 'Optimised Heifer Selection' project, which focuses on combining genomic tools with visual assessment to improve heifer selection.
Based on the Limestone Coast in South Australia, James runs a self-replacing Angus herd alongside a prime lamb enterprise. After two decades working in global financial markets, he returned to farming with a strong focus on data, value and decision making.
In this conversation, James explains why identifying the right replacement heifers is one of the most important profit drivers in a breeding herd. The discussion covers how combining visual assessment with genomic tools can improve selection for first cycle conception, rebreeding performance, longevity and lifetime productivity.
With TSU sampling and genotyping now underway across the project’s core herds, the goal is to generate practical data from commercial operations and test how well genomics can complement traditional drafting decisions.
The episode also touches on market signals, cost of production, maternal versus terminal breeding strategies and why measuring performance is becoming essential for livestock businesses operating in high-cost production environments.
'Optimised heifer selection – Integrating genomic selection tools and on-farm assessments to maximise lifetime productivity' is a Meat & Livestock Australia Producer Demonstration Site project. Contact Georgia Pugh (E: [email protected] M:+61 408 947 488) for more information about the project.
Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited.
We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best: [email protected].
Thanks to our sponsors at MSD Animal Health and Allflex, Heiniger Australia and New Zealand, and ProWay Livestock Equipment. Please consider them when making product choices, as they are instrumental in enabling us to bring you this podcast each week.
Check out the MSD range HERECheck out Allflex products HERE
Check out Heiniger's product range HERE
Check out ProWay's product range HERE
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This week on the podcast, Shannon Donoghue joins us to talk about why she's so passionate about telling the story of wool.
Growing up on a sheep property in South Australia, Shannon started off in the industry as a wool classer before stepping into her current role as an industry relations officer with AWI. Her work now involves helping producers better understand where levy investment goes and ensuring their feedback shapes research, development and marketing.
Alongside that, Shannon has built a significant following online, sharing drone footage and, more recently, "Weekly Wool Facts", a series to get more people interested and excited about sheep and fibre production.
Shannon also explains the shift in consumer attitudes post-COVID and the move towards everyday wool in casual and athletic wear, rather than the standard woollen suit.
Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited.
We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best: [email protected].
Thanks to our sponsors at MSD Animal Health and Allflex, Heiniger Australia and New Zealand, and ProWay Livestock Equipment. Please consider them when making product choices, as they are instrumental in enabling us to bring you this podcast each week.
Check out the MSD range HERECheck out Allflex products HERE
Check out Heiniger's product range HERE
Check out ProWay's product range HERE
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How much do you hate daggy sheep? Well, what started as a frustration with daggy sheep ended up reshaping this week's guest’s entire farming system.
This week, Allan Richardson explains how his determination to eliminate daggy sheep ultimately led to three decades of organic farming and the adoption of regenerative principles.He began by wanting to select for low dag score, but a local vet encouraged him to focus instead on worm resistance. Selecting for worm resistance made organic certification achievable. From there, Organic farming opened the door to regenerative principles focused on soil biology and long-term system health.
Farming inland from Dunedin in a summer wet climate, Allan shares his wisdom from nearly 40 years of selection for worm resistance, resilience, short tails and longevity.Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited.
We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best: [email protected].
Thanks to our sponsors at MSD Animal Health and Allflex, Heiniger Australia and New Zealand, and ProWay Livestock Equipment. Please consider them when making product choices, as they are instrumental in enabling us to bring you this podcast each week.
Check out the MSD range HERECheck out Allflex products HERE
Check out Heiniger's product range HERE
Check out ProWay's product range HERE
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Tune in this week on the Head Shepherd podcast to hear Ferg discuss the 2025/2026 ram sale period across Australia and New Zealand. He explains his approach to selecting the right ram team and the decisions breeders have been facing when producing rams for sale in an increasingly data-driven market.
Ferg discusses the breeding values gaining attention, as well as buyer behaviour when information is available AND when it is missing.
He also explains the neXtPredict tool developed in partnership with Weatherbys and how it can support producers who want to better understand the genetic merit of their ram teams or wider flock if they have been purchasing rams without breeding values.
Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited.
We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best: [email protected].
Thanks to our sponsors at MSD Animal Health and Allflex, Heiniger Australia and New Zealand, and ProWay Livestock Equipment. Please consider them when making product choices, as they are instrumental in enabling us to bring you this podcast each week.
Check out the MSD range HERECheck out Allflex products HERE
Check out Heiniger's product range HERE
Check out ProWay's product range HERE
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