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, combining her experience from both the sheds and healthcare with the idea of forming a charity. After losing multiple people in the industry to suicide in a short period, her idea came to life much sooner than she expected.

Now the founder of sHedway, Carol is working across Australia and New Zealand to improve awareness, reduce stigma, and give shearers practical tools to look after themselves and each other. Carol shares practical signs to look for when someone might be struggling, how to step in, and why being “helpfully nosy” can matter more than people think.

This podcast episode discusses suicide. If you are struggling or know someone who may be struggling, support is available through local mental health and crisis services in your area.

Australia:

• Lifeline Australia: Ph - 1737 Web- https://www.lifeline.org.au
• Beyond Blue: Ph - 1300 22 46 36 - https://www.beyondblue.org.au

New Zealand:

• Samaritans Aotearoa New Zealand: Ph - 0800 72 66 66 Web - https://www.samaritans.org.nz/
• Lifeline New Zealand: Ph 1737 OR 0508 828 865 Web: https://www.lifeline.org.n
• Rural Support Trust: Ph 0800 787 254 Web- https://www.rural-support.org.nz/

UK:

• MIND Ph: 0300 102 1234 Web- https://www.mind.org.uk/

Other:

• 1000 Hearts - https://1000hearts.com.au
• Shedway Official Website - https://shedway.org.au

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: info@nextgenagri.com.

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

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 Hazeldean name is well known around Australia.

In this episode, Bea and Mark discuss their approach to breeding seedstock, which involves harsh winters and a LOT of data recording.

The family has innovation in their blood at Hazeldean, so it's no surprise that Bea is excited about where emerging technology, including AI and on animal monitoring, may take farm businesses. She and Mark discuss this, amongst other things.

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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: info@nextgenagri.com.

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

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 pregnancy rates in beef herds, what a pre-breeding bull soundness evaluation actually involves, how to prevent pestivirus and other reproductive diseases, when IVF makes more sense than conventional ET, and the role of sexed semen in beef operations.

Shane and Mark wrap up their chat by discussing what he thinks are the biggest untapped opportunities in beef production.

This episode is a goldmine for any beef producers wanting to understand their herd's reproductive performance.

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: info@nextgenagri.com.

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