Head Shepherd
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.
Episodes
313 episodes
Driving Genetic Progress in Angus Cattle with Christian Duff
In this podcast, two genetics enthusiasts delve into IMF, methane, mature cow weight, immune competence and more, exploring the latest developments in livestock genetics and breeding strategies for Angus cattle.Yes that's right, we are ...
Breeding Cattle for a Hotter Future with Dr. Raluca Mateescu
Have you ever wondered why some cattle thrive better through an unusually hot summer?Our guest this week, Dr. Raluca Mateescu, Professor of Quantitative Genetics and Genomics at the University of Florida, has been focusing on the impact...
Innovation in Angus with Lucinda Corrigan
This week we're back chatting about Angus cattle with another great livestock producer with a passion for genetics.Born and raised on the family farm, Lucinda always knew she was going to be involved in the agricultural industry. ...
Caffeine and Confinement: Lamb Survival and Reproduction with Dr. Susan Robertson
Welcome to the latest episode of the Head Shepherd podcast, where Ferg is chatting with Dr. Susan Robertson, a senior lecturer in ruminant production at Charles Sturt University.Susan has a wide range of research interests - from a PhD ...
Maximising IMF in your Livestock with Charlotte Westwood
Today we discuss the bigger part of how you make money on the farm - how well you feed the animals. Nutrition of your livestock is one thing that you can get right, or wrong, on a daily basis; genetics is a longer burn. With nutrition, you can ...
The Genetics Behind Angus Cattle with Tom Gubbins
Do you want to develop your understanding of estimated breeding values (EBVs) in cattle? This week's podcast guest, Tom Gubbins, and our host Mark Ferguson chat about breeding values and Te Mania Angus, giving us a great insight into the role o...
Keys to a Successful Succession with Rick Morris
In this podcast, we sit down with Rick, a seasoned farmer whose parents moved to his family farm in the 70s as a child, as part of the family's succession plan. Rick now runs a self-replacing composite flock, focusing on early maturity, f...
Breeding for the Consumer at Cleardale with Ben Todhunter
This week, our guest is Ben Todhunter from Cleardale Station in Canterbury NZ. Ben's grandfather purchased Cleardale in 1943 and is named after its geographical "snow shelter" attributes. Clea...
40 Years of Meat Trading with Richard Rains
Join us today for a chat through Richard Rains's career of 40 years of selling meat around the world. "It became a great passion and I still pinch myself every day at the success a little kid from the bush was able to achieve." Ric...
Unlocking the Secrets of Farm Optimisation with John Young
Are you optimising your farm's production? Today we have John Young, aka Youngy, on the podcast. There are so many ways to optimise your farming business and sometimes that can be overwhelming. John, however, makes it all sound very understanda...
Integrated pest management on your farm with Alison Colvin
Integrated pest management for blowfly, worms and lice is the topic of todays podcast, with our guest Alison Colvin. Alison has published work on practices on farm and has also been involved in a lot of survey work. You can find m...
An insight into sheep research in New Zealand with Paul Kenyon
One of the main topics of today’s podcast is the financial modelling of transitioning to a shedding flock from a Romney our guest, Prof. Paul Kenyon of Massey University, has been involved with.Mark asks what instigated the work and what do...
Innovative lamb processing with Gundagai Meat Processors
As producers, you're always wanting to get the most for your hard earned produce and it always helps when your processor wants that for you, too.Located mid-way between Sydney and Melbourne, Gundaga...
Connecting the dots of science, people and money with Kate Burke
Every day, we make hundreds of decisions. These decisions affect you, your business and those around you. This week we have Kate Burke on the podcast talking about how to make the right decisions. With 26 years of experience be...
The latest and greatest in meat quality technology with Graham Gardner
This week we have an old supervisor of Marks, Graham Gardener as our guest. Graham has been involved in a huge multi species project (ALMTECH) focusing on measuring lean meat yield and eating quality for the past 7 years. You can find out more ...
The future of wool harvesting with Jock Laurie of AWI
Bio shearing, wool harvesting practices and Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) research is the topic of this week's podcast.We have Jock Laurie, chair of AWI chatting with Mark today. Jock currently far...
Maintaining genetic diversity and resilience around the world with Dr. Roswitha Baumung
Today on the podcast we have a different kind of guest! We have the incredible Dr. Roswitha Baumung who currently works at the Division for Animal Production and Health of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).
An insight into Irish Sheep Farming with Tim Keady
It is always interesting to compare different farming systems across this world. This week on the podcast we have Dr Tim Keady speaking about farming in Ireland. Having recently returned from a trip to New Zealand, Tim has a great insight at ho...
Building livestock cash flow with Richard Brimblecombe
If you can optimise your stocking rate for your season, there's no reason you can't make profit in livestock. However, accessing capital for trading and breeding stock, isn't always easy and can hold a producer back. That's where R...
Managing Drench Resistance in Sheep With Ginny Dodunski
Want to know more about sheep parasites? This week we have Ginny Dodunski on the podcast chatting about everything from drenches and capsules, to resistance and refugia. This podcast is full of handy, helpful tips, which will hopefully make you...
Current market trends with @Meat_Watcher - Matt Dalgleish
This week we are discussing markets and were lucky to secure some time with Matt Dalgleish to talk through the current markets and current trends. Matt has a wealth of experience in livestock markets.Matt works with Andrew Whitela...
Innovation is coming to livestock farming - will it make you or break you? Ferg's thoughts
This week we bring you Ferg's thoughts on innovation and particularly the role Artificial Intelligence will play in livestock farming in the future. The uptake of innovations in livestock breeding in the last 20 years is about to go into...
Three years into transitioning to a finer wool genotype. With Mark Wragg.
Mark Wragg transitioned from Romney ewes to a finer wool cross three years ago. Today he chats to Mark Ferguson about that process and also about the introduction of a White Suffolk stud to their business. After attending a NZM workshop...
Feed efficiency and behaviours in sheep with Tricia Johnson
This week on the Head Shepherd podcast we have another senior scientist of AgResearch, Tricia Johnson. Following on from our podcast with Dr Suzanne Rowe on "Genetic selection for lower methane in ruminants", we invited Tricia on ...
Building a successful farm business with Prue Bondfield
This week on the podcast, we have the wonderful Prue Bondfield. Prue didn't have a traditional pathway into agriculture. 'In terms of the beef industry, my association there started when I got married to my husband, who owned a Charolais stud. ...