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Ferg's thoughts on replacement ewe selection

October 11, 2026 · 31 min

Show notes

Selecting replacement ewe lambs is an opportunity to make more genetic progress in a flock, but how much are we missing when selection relies on visual assessment alone?

In this episode, Ferg shares his thoughts on improving replacement ewe selection. He explains how environmental effects can influence what we see in the yards, and why putting objective scores around those observations can lead to better selection decisions.

Ferg also explains how neXtRank accounts for environmental effects and trait heritability to rank animals against a flock's breeding objective, giving producers an opportunity to make better use of the information they collect without adding unnecessary cost or complexity to the process.

Get in touch today if you're interested in using neXtRank within your business

[email protected]


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

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