Head Shepherd

Mark Ferguson
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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. Feet, finances, and faster genetic gain with Chad Taylor from Mumblebone

    3일 전

    Feet, finances, and faster genetic gain with Chad Taylor from Mumblebone

    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 amy@nextgenagri.com 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: 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

    43분
  2. Turning lamb data into profit with Will Barton

    4월 19일

    Turning lamb data into profit with Will Barton

    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: 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

    48분
  3. What practical mental health support looks like in the shearing industry with Carol Mudford

    4월 12일

    What practical mental health support looks like in the shearing industry with Carol Mudford

    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.au 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

    45분
  4. Breeding seedstock for tough country at Hazeldean, with Bea Litchfield

    4월 5일

    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

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

    3월 29일

    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

    43분
  6. Fat, fertility and the genetics of cow performance with Professor Wayne Pitchford

    3월 22일

    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

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

    3월 15일

    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

    1시간 2분
  8. Using Genomics to Improve Heifer Selection in Commercial Beef Herds

    3월 8일

    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

    37분
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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. 

정보

  • 제작진
    Mark Ferguson
  • 방송 연도
    2020년 - 2026년
  • 에피소드
    285
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    전체 연령 사용가
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    © 2026 Head Shepherd
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