Head Shepherd

Hosted by Mark Ferguson

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Episodes

303

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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EN-NZ

About the show

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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60 recent

September 27, 2026Episode 30039 min

Pulling the future towards you with Gus Balbontin

Join us to celebrate our 300th episode! For anyone lucky enough to attend LambEx this year, Gus Balbontin was one of our favourite speakers. So, when he agreed to come on for our special 300th episode, we were beyond excited. The messages Gus shared during his talk have stuck with many. He challenged (and succeeded) in getting us to think differently and to question any long-standing assumptions we'd had. Gus grew up in sheep country in Patagonia before leaving Argentina at the age of 17 because of "a healthy disregard for the status quo". By 22, he'd dropped out of university, hitchhiked across South America, started his first business and landed his dream job at Lonely Planet, giving him a front-row seat to the disruption that came alongside the internet and ensuing technology boom. These days, Gus is an investor, founder, advisor, and speaker, working across startups, AI, robotics, 3D-printed wheelchairs, and climate technology. Gus doesn’t claim to know exactly what the future will look like. Instead, he argues that we should be getting better at adapting to whatever comes next. He talks about why successful businesses and farms can become comfortable with systems that have worked for years, which is why disruption often looks ridiculous before it becomes obvious. His advice is to stop waiting for the future to become clear and start playing with it now. Try something unfamiliar. Follow a new idea down a rabbit hole. Make a small experiment. See what happens. We couldn't have asked for a better guest for our 300th episode. We hope this gives you a chance to think about staying relevant, challenging assumptions and being willing to rethink things that have worked well for a long time. 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

September 20, 2026Episode 29948 min

The changing role of breed societies with John Yates

John Yates has spent the past 18 years helping develop the British Texel Sheep Society, including bringing performance recording in house and building the iTexel database. Rather than relying on an external system, the Society has developed an evaluation around the information its breeders are collecting and the breeding goals of a terminal sire breed. John chats with Ferg about that evolution and the thinking behind it. For him, breed development has to maintain focus on what commercial producers need from a terminal sire, which means making data easier for breeders to collect and use, putting economic value on traits, and using genomics to ensure accuracy within the breed. With around a third of UK sires having texel genetics, this development has been quite influential for sheep producers there. It is an interesting concept, and worth a listen for anyone wondering what a breed society could be doing with the data it already holds. 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

September 13, 2026Episode 29823 min

From the shearing shed to sheep genetics with Reece Michelle

Our newest consultant, Reece Michelle, took a slightly roundabout route into his new role with neXtgen Agri, from studying agricultural science at Lincoln and working with Headwaters to shearing and fencing before moving across the Tasman. Now splitting his time between neXtgen Agri and Murdoch University, Reece chats with Ferg about his move to WA, the work he’ll be doing with sheep breeders and researchers which includes the Smart Ewe project and heat tolerance work. Get in touch at info@nextgenagri.com if you'd like to know more about these projects or our new tool, neXtRank 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

September 6, 2026Episode 29737 min

Maximising eating quality and profitability in sheep with David Packer

This episode comes from our Productivity & Profitability podcast, produced in partnership with Meat & Livestock Australia. How do you breed a lamb that consistently delivers a better eating experience? For decades, sheep producers have been selecting for traits they could easily measure, including growth, fertility and lean meat yield. But eating quality has remained far more difficult to quantify, despite being one of the biggest drivers of consumer satisfaction and long-term demand. On this episode, Mark chats with David Packer, Program Manager – CarcaseValue at Meat & Livestock Australia, to explore how advances in meat science are changing that. Whether you're interested in genetics, processing, meat science or producing lambs that better meet consumer expectations, this episode shows just how rapidly objective carcase measurement is reshaping sheep breeding. 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 30, 2026Episode 29634 min

Redefining the Corriedale with Peter Blackwood

Most breeders pick one thing to improve. Peter Blackwood picked several. When he and his wife Claire took over a Corriedale stud in 2006, they committed to lifting fertility, carcass shape and wool fineness - all at once - by using ASBVs. Two decades later, they've lifted lambing from 110% to 150%, and reduced micron from 28 to 22-24. Peter also says his sheep are shorter and stockier, with better shape and cleaner points, including bare heads. Apparently 10 years on the crutching trailers will do that to a farmer! The Performance Corriedale Group, which Peter helped found, conducted a three-year eating quality trial on more than 700 lambs, developing the first genomic tools to predict meat quality in Corriedales, which, as it turned out, had higher intramuscular fat on average than industry benchmarks at 4.6% and some lambs even reaching above 10% IMF. Peter says he sees the Corriedale as an 'all-rounder' breed rather than a 'dual-purpose' breed. After 20 years of breeding for good structure, fertility, wool and carcase, Peter now sees an opportunity for the Corriedale in modern prime lamb systems, particularly where producers can make the wool pay for the sheep enterprise and let the lambs carry the remaining costs. Tune in to hear how Peter and Claire proved you don't have to pick between traits. You can breed a sheep that does fertility, carcass and wool well, all at the same time. 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 23, 2026Episode 29540 min

Questioning tradition in Merino breeding with Dom Hallam

Looking to change your Merino genetics? What actually happens when you switch types? For our guest this week, Dom Hallam, it started with his parents. Coming from a traditional fine wool background, they began looking for something different, eventually bringing sheep from New England into their flock. The change was rapid, and before long the sheep looked very different. His parents' willingness to try something new eventually led them into breeding their own rams and establishing the Cooee Merino stud. A few years ago, Dom came across a type of Merino that caught his attention when 'browsing sheep on the internet', as one does. Those sheep were Konsortium Merinos. Originally from South Africa, they have been bred in Australia to become a very fertile, wrinkle-free Merino with great meat attributes. Dom travelled to see the sheep and decided he was bringing some home with him. Tune in to see how they've performed and how he's planning to cross them with his original flock. Before he returned to the family farm, Dom spent time in the US studying horse dentistry. What he learnt about skull structure and dentition has stayed with him, and he now considers those same principles when breeding sheep. He has some unique insights into issues such as undershot jaws. For Dom, the interesting part of breeding is that there is always another question to ask and another change to make. The best advice he learnt from his parents? 'You can't change unless you change.' Ferg is out and about on the road over the coming weeks. Catch him at the following events: 28 August – Precision, productivity and profit (workshop ) 8 September – Pooginook Poll Merino open day 9 September – Mumblebone open day 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 16, 2026Episode 29425 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 it hasn't always been easy to put that value into real dollar terms that apply to individual farming businesses. In this episode, Ferg explains how we plan to work 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. For example, the extra feed and pasture consumed by that additional animal, and the flow-on effects on labour and farm management; or the extra chemical and labour required to manage 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 29340 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 29235 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