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Head Shepherd

Mark Ferguson
Livestock Management
Agriculture
Animal Health
Sheep Farming
Genomics
Genetics
Sheep Breeding
Worm Resistance
Animal Welfare
Australia
Wool Industry
Animal Health Management
Drench Resistance
Merino Sheep
Lambex
Agronomy
Angus Cattle
Artificial Insemination
Sustainability
Innovation

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.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes308Founded6 years ago
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Latest Episodes

neXtResist can tell you which sheep are fighting off worms, even when worm numbers are low. Emma Noble-Campbell has been running the test for New Zealand breeders since she joined us in February.

Emma grew up on a sheep and beef farm in the North Is... more

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 shar... more

YouTube

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 evalua... more

YouTube

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 spli... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

John Yates
Representative of the Texel Sheep Society (UK)
Texel Sheep Society (UK)
Episode: The changing role of breed societies with John Yates
Reece Michelle
New recruit at NeXtGen Agri, Western Australia
NeXtGen Agri
Episode: From the shearing shed to sheep genetics with Reece Michelle
David Packer
Program Manager of CarcaseValue at Meat & Livestock Australia
Meat & Livestock Australia
Episode: Maximising eating quality and profitability in sheep with David Packer
Peter Blackwood
Owner, Blackwood Corriedales
Blackwood Corriedales
Episode: Redefining the Corriedale with Peter Blackwood
Dom Hallam
Guest from Kiwi Merinos / Konsortium Merinos
Kiwi Merinos / Konsortium Merinos (Molong origin)
Episode: Questioning tradition in Merino breeding with Dom Hallam
Jonno Hicks
Manager of Hannaton Poll Merinos and White Suffolks
Hannaton Poll Merinos and White Suffolks
Episode: Data driven sheep breeding at Hannaton with Jonno Hicks
Laura Deeming
PhD researcher on hoof health in goats
EpiVets (and formerly AgResearch)
Episode: How hoof overgrowth impacts bone structure and long-term lameness with Laura Deeming
Geoff Hayes
Geoff Farms, Baran Glen Innes; livestock agent and real estate agent
Geoff Farms, Baran Glen Innes
Episode: Using genomics to pick better replacement heifers with Geoff Hayes
Richard Green
Mentor and industry figure discussing future of agriculture
(as introduced) mentor in the farming and agri-business space
Episode: Building resilient farming businesses to keep up with global demand, with Richard Green

Host

Mark Ferguson
Host of Head Shepherd

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 250 ratings
  • Review

    Thanks Mark, great show, always learn heaps. Cheers Steve

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    574636382
    New Zealanda year ago
  • My favourite podcast

    Love the guests, stories, technical insights and everyday tips on how to build and improve your farm business. I also love genetics!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Dale @ Redbank FX Rams
    Australia2 years ago
  • Informative, relaxed and incredibly relevant

    In Scotland and find the head shepherd podcast offers speakers with a huge knowledge and covers incredibly relevant topics! It’s relaxed style makes for an excellent listen! Truly first class

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    JaStephen
    United Kingdom3 years ago
  • Outstanding Agricultural Leader

    Mark Ferguson and his amazing podcast craft an inspiring ongoing story of the amazing people involved in food and fibre production.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Fannytangles
    Australia3 years ago
  • Thank you!

    This podcast particularly those episodes geared towards sheep production (which are most) are so informative I can listen all day tending our flock. His interviews with experts and leading research in the field is fascinating and a blast to listen to! Thank you for all your work and spreading such crucial information!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Shepherdess in New England
    United States4 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise technical depth and accessible storytelling across genetics, data, and farming operations.
High-quality audio and engaging discussions make complex topics approachable for practitioners.
The show is seen as a valuable resource for industry leadership and knowledge-sharing across the sheep and beef sectors.
A well-curated mix of guests and topics that deliver practical insights for farm business growth.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#99
Australia/Science
Apple Podcasts
#51
New Zealand/Science
Apple Podcasts
#213
South Africa/Science

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Redefining the Corriedale with Peter Blackwood
Q: What were the biggest holes in the breed when you started, and how did you address them?
The key gaps were fertility and lambing performance, which we addressed by focusing on fertility in selection, using Land Plan and production-driven indices to drive gains and ensure an overall improvement rather than chasing a single trait.
Redefining the Corriedale with Peter Blackwood
Q: Can you describe the origin of your flock and the move from Merinos to performance Corriedales?
We started Australia's Performance Corriedales in 2006, moving from Merino breeders to focus on production and fertility, while incorporating data and genetics from New Zealand to boost production and carcass quality.
The changing role of breed societies with John Yates
Q: What were the main challenges in moving to a new database and genomics, and how were they addressed?
Initial pushback came from governance and funding constraints, but support from leadership and board, coupled with strategic partnerships (e.g., RSAIR for iTexel), allowed the project to progress; the emphasis was on cost efficiency, data accessibility, and creating a system that members could use effectively.
The changing role of breed societies with John Yates
Q: How far down that line has the society gone in adopting data-driven breeding and in-house performance recording?
The society moved performance recording in-house to simplify data collection, reduced barriers for members to contribute data, and built an integrated system (iTexel) that ties pedigree, performance, and genomics into a single service.
Refugia, resistance testing, and the future of worm management with Chloe Frank
Q: How does Chloe describe refugia and its role in managing drug resistance?
Refugia slows resistance by treating only those that need it and leaving a subset of the population untreated, which keeps susceptible worms in the population and dilutes resistant genes over time.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Head Shepherd

What is Head Shepherd about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show centers on sheep and beef production in Australia and New Zealand, with a strong emphasis on genetics, data analytics, technology, and innovation in farming. Episodes frequently feature industry veterans, researchers, and business leaders discussing breeding programs, genomic tools, herd health, farm governance, and the economics of farming, often weaving in practical case studies from seed stock operations, processing, and marketing. A standout thread is the role of data-driven decision making—from genomics to EID tagging and Dexa analytics—paired with leadership, resilience, and collaboration through industry bodies and private partnerships. The format tends to blend technical insights with actionable takeaways for improving prof... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Head Shepherd?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Head Shepherd:

1. Productivity and Profitability Media Series
2. Profitable Farmer
3. Humans of Agriculture
4. Boots Off Log On!™
5. The Yarn

How many episodes of Head Shepherd are there?

Head Shepherd launched 6 years ago and published 308 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Head Shepherd?

Recent guests on Head Shepherd include:

1. John Yates
2. Reece Michelle
3. David Packer
4. Peter Blackwood
5. Dom Hallam
6. Jonno Hicks
7. Laura Deeming
8. Geoff Hayes

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