How to select better rams using genetics and data

Ram sales often provide a useful snapshot of where selection priorities are shifting across the sheep industry. In this week’s episode of the Head Shepherd podcast, Mark Ferguson reflects on the recently completed New Zealand ram sale period and shares observations on buyer behaviour and the traits that attracted the most attention from ram buyers this year. As expected, there is continued momentum around health and efficiency traits alongside the traditional production drivers, reflecting growing pressure on labour, animal resilience and long term flock performance. Mark also outlines practical considerations for producers when building ram teams, including how to balance individual strengths with overall team performance. The episode also explains how neXtPredict works and how it can help producers benchmark flock genetics, particularly for those who have historically purchased rams without breeding values.