Head Shepherd

Mark Ferguson

Mark Ferguson from neXtgen Agri brings you the latest in livestock, genetics, innovation and technology. We focus on sheep and beef farming in Australia and New Zealand, and the people doing great things in those industries. To learn more about neXtgen Agri, visit www.nextgenagri.com. 

  1. Breeding seedstock for tough country at Hazeldean, with Bea Litchfield

    HACE 4 D

    Breeding seedstock for tough country at Hazeldean, with Bea Litchfield

    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.  - 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: info@nextgenagri.com. 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 HERE Check out Allflex products HERE Check out Heiniger's product range HERE Check out ProWay's product range HERE

    27 min
  2. Key tips for improving the reproductive performance of your beef herd with Dr Shane Thomson

    29 MAR

    Key tips for improving the reproductive performance of your beef herd with Dr Shane Thomson

    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: info@nextgenagri.com. 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 HERE Check out Allflex products HERE Check out Heiniger's product range HERE Check out ProWay's product range HERE

    43 min
  3. Fat, fertility and the genetics of cow performance with Professor Wayne Pitchford

    22 MAR

    Fat, fertility and the genetics of cow performance with Professor Wayne Pitchford

    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: info@nextgenagri.com. 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 HERE Check out Allflex products HERE Check out Heiniger's product range HERE Check out ProWay's product range HERE

    42 min
  4. Lifetime Ewe Management, leadership and the legacy that changed sheep farming, with Mark, Darren and Andrew [PODCASTHON]

    15 MAR

    Lifetime Ewe Management, leadership and the legacy that changed sheep farming, with Mark, Darren and Andrew [PODCASTHON]

    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: info@nextgenagri.com. 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 HERE Check out Allflex products HERE Check out Heiniger's product range HERE Check out ProWay's product range HERE

    1 h 2 min
  5. Using Genomics to Improve Heifer Selection in Commercial Beef Herds

    8 MAR

    Using Genomics to Improve Heifer Selection in Commercial Beef Herds

    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: georgia@nextgenagri.com 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: info@nextgenagri.com. 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 HERE Check out Allflex products HERE Check out Heiniger's product range HERE Check out ProWay's product range HERE

    37 min
  6. Understanding the wool industry pipeline with Shannon Donoghue

    1 MAR

    Understanding the wool industry pipeline with Shannon Donoghue

    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: info@nextgenagri.com. 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 HERE Check out Allflex products HERE Check out Heiniger's product range HERE Check out ProWay's product range HERE

    27 min
  7. 40 years of sheep selection lessons: worm resistance, longevity and performance with Allan Richardson

    22 FEB

    40 years of sheep selection lessons: worm resistance, longevity and performance with Allan Richardson

    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: info@nextgenagri.com. 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 HERE Check out Allflex products HERE Check out Heiniger's product range HERE Check out ProWay's product range HERE

    40 min

  8. 15 FEB

    Ferg’s thoughts on the 25/26 ram sale season, how to buy a good ram and why breeding values matter.

    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: info@nextgenagri.com. 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 HERE Check out Allflex products HERE Check out Heiniger's product range HERE Check out ProWay's product range HERE

    26 min
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Información

Mark Ferguson from neXtgen Agri brings you the latest in livestock, genetics, innovation and technology. We focus on sheep and beef farming in Australia and New Zealand, and the people doing great things in those industries. To learn more about neXtgen Agri, visit www.nextgenagri.com. 

Ficha técnica

  • Creado por
    Mark Ferguson
  • Años en activo
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodios
    282
  • Clasificación
    Apto
  • Derechos de autor
    © 2026 Head Shepherd
  • Sitio web del podcast
    Head Shepherd

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