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.
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August 16, 2026Episode 29525 min
Ferg’s thoughts on putting a dollar value on genetic change
What is a trait actually worth to a farming business? Ferg has spent much of his career talking about the value of genetics, but we haven't always been very good at putting that value into real dollar terms that apply to individual farm businesses. In this episode of Ferg's Thoughts, he explains how we're planning on working out the dollar value of genetic performance with the use of our new tool, neXtProfit, Ferg explains that it's not as simple as putting a price on an extra lamb or another kilogram of wool, because each change has a whole range of small on-farm impacts like the extra feed and pasture that additional animal will consume, and the flow-on effects on labour and farm management. Or the extra chemical and labour required for a daggier animal. Tune in to hear how we're planning on helping farmers put a dollar value on genetic change. 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
August 9, 2026Episode 29440 min
Data driven sheep breeding at Hannaton with Jonno Hicks
What's the difference between a sheep that looks "right" and a sheep that breeds "right"? Jonno Hicks from Hannaton Poll Merinos and White Suffolks, reckons he's finally found the answer. In this week's episode, Jonno talks through his shift from visual assessment to genomics and data-driven breeding, and why the first years weren't the easiest- despite employing a "guy in New Zealand he heard on a podcast". At Hannaton, they now record fleece attributes, carcass traits, structural traits and much more, and make the most of that data by using genomics and neXtgen Agri indices to balance progress across all of them. Tune in to hear a great yarn between two people who spend way too much time thinking about sheep genetics. 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
August 2, 2026Episode 29335 min
How hoof overgrowth impacts bone structure and long-term lameness with Laura Deeming
Ever wondered what's actually happening inside an overgrown hoof? And can you fix it once the damage is done? Our guest this week looked into just that. Dr Laura Deeming did her PhD with Massey University and AgResearch on dairy goat hoof health. Many dairy goats are not hoof trimmed until their first lactation, which, at that point, feet can already be very overgrown. One of her key questions was whether starting trimming earlier would help lifetime foot health. Laura worked with equine vets to X-ray the internal structures of overgrown hooves pre- and post-trimming. She found the joint angles and bone rotation inside the lower hoof were significantly affected by hoof overgrowth. There is growing evidence, that prolonged hoof overgrowth and changes to the weight bearing surface of the hoof can result in bony growths and distortion within the hoof, which increases the risk of having chronically lame animals. As part of her PhD, Laura also developed a 5-point gait scoring system to help identify lameness earlier so that these long-term issues wouldn't occur. Initially, using the systems in place at the time, 81% of animals came back "normal". When she re-scored them using her scoring system that included an "uneven gait" category, only 36% were classified as "normal". This allowed animals to be identified before they were severely lame or overgrown and long-term issues were caused, and it also proves that a more detailed scoring system improves the precision of measurement. Mark and Laura also discuss the role of hoof colour, white line separation, foot baths, and the genetic component to hoof conformation. A great listen for any foot-health nerds out there! You can read Laura's thesis here: https://mro.massey.ac.nz/items/d72eb0f2-8fa1-4516-9a1a-273a822b4d8e 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
July 26, 2026Episode 29241 min
Adding more value to every wool clip with Willy McSkimming
Willy McSkimming is modernising the shearing industry with a new app and an improved focus on wool classing and quality. After 23 years running a major contracting operation with his wife Tess, he's now doing things differently. Not happy with being left behind in comparison to other industries, and considering theres an "app for everything", Willy decided to develop an app for the shearing industry whilst healing from a knee replacement. Tune in to hear Willy explain what the app does, as well as his newly appointed Operations & People Lead, Nic Blanchard. Check out the app here: https://www.theshearingboard.app/ 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
July 19, 2026Episode 29128 min
Using genomics to pick better replacement heifers with Geoff Hayes
How do you actually pick which heifers to keep? For many, selecting the top ones is easy, but it's those middle ones that are hard to choose between. For this week's guest, Geoff Hayes, the answer is genomics. Geoff and his wife Belinda started their Angus stud just 5 years ago, but began their genomic journey early, not wanting to pick bulls on looks alone from the very beginning. "I was hesitant just to go and pick them visually," Geoff explains. "We need to put some science into it." They began with a base genomic test across a random selection of purchased cattle, which showed them that they were fine for IMF, but needed to increase ribeye area, and that became the main basis of their early selection focus. Over time, that focus shifted. Rather than just chasing carcass traits, they started looking for sires out of cow families with longevity in the background. This introduced more of a focus on the maternal and stayability traits. Geoff still tests his own weaners before deciding which ones to keep and that same mindset is now extending to heifers, with Geoff part of MLA's heifer PDS project. The project involves genotyping heifers, alongside visual measurements to help guide replacement decisions. This project is ongoing, and we will have results to share in the coming years. Mark and Geoff finish by talking about where the beef industry is headed with record property and beef values, as well as the possibilities of new technology just around the corner. Optimised Heifer Selection is a Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) project funded by Meat & Livestock Australia and facilitated by neXtgen Agri. Geoff Hayes is a core producer demonstration site for this project. If you would like to learn more about this PDS project, you can visit the Heifer Selection Hub page or contact: Georgia Pugh, neXtgen Agri M: +61 408 947 488 E: georgia@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
July 12, 2026Episode 29040 min
The science of farming with Pete Fennessy
Pete Fennessy has spent more than fifty years involved in science, genetics and livestock production, helping shape many of the ideas that transformed New Zealand’s sheep and deer industries. Pete spent two decades at Invermay before becoming General Manager of AgResearch’s Sheep, Deer and Equine Division, later founding AbacusBio alongside a group of colleagues and helping build it into an internationally recognised consultancy. More recently, his focus has turned to new challenges facing NZ agriculture, including methane, meat and the future direction of livestock production. In this episode, Pete chats with Mark about the people, ideas and turning points that drove decades of productivity gains. 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
July 5, 2026Episode 29046 min
The process of precision sheep farming with Joshua Barton
This week on the podcast we have Joshua Barton chatting to Mark about the benefits of precision sheep management and the results it can get you. Josh is currently stockman at Hillcroft Farms and recently shared some great scanning results with us as the outcome of well-planned precision lambing. Josh shares these results as well as discussing how Hillcroft’s ultra-white breeding program has evolved. Josh and Mark also cover the HF Plus gene and what it is doing for fertility and why better data is the only way forward if you want to increase your production. 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
June 28, 2026Episode 28946 min
Building resilient farming businesses to keep up with global demand, with Richard Green
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: 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
June 21, 2026Episode 28845 min
Growing grass for sheep, stadiums and everything in between with George Fell
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: 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
June 14, 2026Episode 28747 min
Turning grass into money - this time with cattle, with Joe Kerin
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: 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
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