Head Shepherd

55:59

Genomic data management and the future of breeding...

Head Shepherd ·

2026/05/17

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 Colorado State. 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 ...

en-nz

26:22

Lessons learned from LambEx with Jane Kellock

Head Shepherd ·

2026/05/10

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 be...

en-nz

61:53

How to run a farm business your bank trusts, with...

Head Shepherd ·

2026/05/03

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 shif...

en-nz

43:25

Feet, finances, and faster genetic gain with Chad...

Head Shepherd ·

2026/04/26

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...

en-nz

47:46

Turning lamb data into profit with Will Barton

Head Shepherd ·

2026/04/19

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 anim...

en-nz

44:36

What practical mental health support looks like in...

Head Shepherd ·

2026/04/12

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,...

en-nz

26:43

Breeding seedstock for tough country at Hazeldean,...

Head Shepherd ·

2026/04/05

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 Ha...

en-nz

42:38

Key tips to improving the reproductive performance of...

Head Shepherd ·

2026/03/29

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 preg...

en-nz

41:50

Fat, fertility and the genetics of cow performance...

Head Shepherd ·

2026/03/22

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 ex...

en-nz

62:21

Lifetime Ewe Management, leadership and the legacy...

Head Shepherd ·

2026/03/15

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 b...

en-nz

37:01

Using Genomics to Improve Heifer Selection in...

Head Shepherd ·

2026/03/08

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, h...

en-nz

27:28

Understanding the wool industry pipeline with Shannon...

Head Shepherd ·

2026/03/01

This week on the podcast, Shannon Donoghue joins us to talk about telling the story of wool and why she's so passionate about it. Growing up on a sheep property in South Australia, Shannon started off in the industry through wool classing 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...

en-nz

40:06

40 years of sheep selection lessons: worm resistance,...

Head Shepherd ·

2026/02/22

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 certifi...

en-nz

26:27

Ferg’s thoughts on the 25/26 ram sale season, how to...

Head Shepherd ·

2026/02/15

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 part...

en-nz

20:55

Why you can't miss LambEx 2026 with Jamie Heinrich

Head Shepherd ·

2026/02/08

Are you heading to LambEx2026? This week on the podcast we have Lambex chair, Jamie Heinrich, on the podcast to discuss one of the sheep industry’s largest gatherings, bringing together producers, researchers, service providers and supply chain leaders from around the world. Held at the Adelaide Convention Centre, the event covers productivity, profitability, genetics, sustainability and the future direction of the sheep and lamb sector. Tune in to hear more about how you can join the c...

en-nz

58:14

Leading The New Zealand Merino Company into its next...

Head Shepherd ·

2026/02/01

Our guest this week, Angus Street, has worked across journalism, global agricultural marketing, Asian supply chains and livestock trading before stepping into the role of CEO at New Zealand Merino. In this episode, Angus reflects on taking on the role and guiding the organisation through a period of ongoing change across wool markets and supply chains. He and Mark chat about New Zealand Merinos’ role in connecting growers directly with global brands, the thinking behind ZQ and ZQRX and also t...

en-nz

59:08

Breeding Romneys for the rain at Kaituna Ridges

Head Shepherd ·

2026/01/25

How do you breed sheep that thrive in wet coastal hill country without routine drenching? What traits actually matter when you're selecting for challenging conditions? This week on the podcast, Mark is chatting to Fred Gane, who runs Kaituna Ridges, an 800-hectare farm near Havelock and the Pelorus Sound in the South Island of New Zealand, alongside his wife Nikita. Kaituna Ridges comprises a mixed grazing operation that includes over 5,000 Romney sheep and 200 head of cattle, as well as a Ro...

en-nz

55:13

Lessons from moving sheep genetics around the world...

Head Shepherd ·

2026/01/18

Ever wondered about farming New Zealand sheep in the UK, or considered farming UK shedding genetics in Australia? In this episode of Head Shepherd, Ferg speaks with Ian McDougall, a veterinarian whose career - and sheep - have taken him across Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Ian grew up on marginal country on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula before moving into veterinary work and artificial breeding. Over the past four decades, his work has involved embryo transfer, semen freezing and larg...

en-nz

33:00

How innovation is changing the wool industry with Sam...

Head Shepherd ·

2026/01/11

Growing up in Western Sydney with no connection to agriculture, Samantha Wan’s path into the wool industry was anything but typical. In this week's episode, Sam talks with Ferg about finding agriculture through high school ag, building confidence without a family farming background, and the role mentors and community played in shaping her career. She and Mark discuss her work across the wool value chain, including auctioneering, technology and systems innovation within Elders, and the d...

en-nz

60:55

Practical Breeding Strategies for Commercial Cattle...

Head Shepherd ·

2026/01/04

How can commercial producers use breeding values without recording full pedigrees? This week, Mark chats with Carel Teseling, Chief Operating Officer at Angus Australia, to find out. Carel's career has taken him from South Africa's regional performance recording programs to 14 years of developing genetic tools for Angus Australia, a decade leading Australian Wagyu Association's genetics, and now back to Angus again, giving him unique insight into what actually works for producers across...

en-nz

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