Head Shepherd

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 on sharks, making Dan a third-generation PhD.
Dan explains how the same maths used to model fluid dynamics around rockets is used to generate breeding values, and how he ended up joining the family business in 2017 to help roll out some of the first production single step evaluations in the US for American Hereford and IGS. That work quickly revealed a major bottleneck in managing the genomic data flowing in from DNA testing labs. That's where Helical was born.
Ferg and Dan talk through how Helical now serves breed societies, genetics companies, universities and labs across beef, dairy, sheep, horses, dogs, aquaculture and forestry. They also look ahead at where things are going. From decision support tools and AI in commercial herds, to the potential for wearable devices like virtual fencing collars to generate entirely new breeding values nobody has thought of yet - both Dan and Ferg agree the future is bright for Agriculture. 
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: [email protected].

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

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 before drought hits, why mixed farming regions risk losing livestock knowledge, and what producers can expect from LambEx26.
Tickets available here: https://www.lambex.org.au/tickets
Earlybird tickets finish Friday, the 15th of May. 
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: [email protected].

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

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 shift to managing people, finances, and decision-making, and that is often where performance stalls, especially during succession. 
On that note, succession is a major passion for Matt. Not just how to transfer assets, but how to run the process properly by having early conversations and making sure there is actually a business worth passing on, alongside a strong emphasis on purpose, both for the next generation coming in and for those stepping back.
Matt also explains what the good, strong businesses he's come across consistently do well. It usually comes down to a good understanding of numbers, avoiding surprises, and keeping emotion out of decision-making.
Matt and Mark also discuss what "good" looks like from a banking perspective and how to build up a good relationship with your bank so that you can work together for the success of everyone. 
This is an hour every farmer needs to listen to. 
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: [email protected].

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

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 lambs, using genomics and utilising custom indexes in selection decisions. 
Chad also explains why genetic gain should be tracked and questioned just as closely as interest rates, because both compound over time and have a direct impact on the long-term performance of the business.
Finally, Ferg and Chad discuss what supports all the progress they're making on-farm. Chad is very keen on building the right team and aligning people with the direction of the business, and he shares the impact of bringing staff into the bigger picture by "opening the books" so they know how the business operates financially.
It's always a pleasure to have Chad on the podcast. Tune in to hear a top operator's approach to breeding great sheep. 
Links:
Precision Sheep HQ: https://www.precisionsheephq.com/feed
'Genetics of foot health in Merinos' project cull ram challenge: Email [email protected]
Mineral basics for healthier stock and higher returns: https://thehub.nextgenagri.com/c/events/mineral-basics-for-healthier-stock-and-higher-returns
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: [email protected].

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

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 animal health has been critical to maintaining consistency. Will also explains their feedback loop between processor and producer. With full EID integration now in place, the ability to link on farm decisions directly to carcass outcomes is no longer theoretical and is now happening at scale. 

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: [email protected].

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