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ToolBox Podcasts Humans-of-Agriculture-Podcast-Nigel-Kerin-Kerin-Poll-Merino-Kerin-Wagyu-Kerin-Ag
46 min

Tom & Mick: Trading Livestock, Grazing Systems and the Long Game with Nigel Kerin

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By Humans of Agriculture
Tom & Mick: Trading Livestock, Grazing Systems and the Long Game with Nigel Kerin
Blogs neXtgenminiseries Risk-management-no-text
Kerin Poll Merino
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Risk Management - With Mark Ferguson neXtgen Agri
If you’re treating risk management like a part-time job, you better go and find a full-time job.

Hear Nigel and Mark Ferguson from neXtgen Agri dig into risk management and the future of the Merino. For us, risk management starts with the genetics of the sheep. Nigel and Mark explain that early growth, fertility and compact body type allow Merinos to be turned off farm quicker, reducing exposure to climate extremes and market volatility.
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Risk Management - With Mark Ferguson neXtgen Agri
Blogs neXtgenminiseries Wealth-in-wool-no-text
Kerin Poll Merino
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Wealth In Wool - With Mark Ferguson neXtgen Agri
Wool is often underestimated, but for us it is one of the best risk management tools a sheep business can have. In this chat with Mark Ferguson from neXtgen Agri, Nigel explains how we treat our wool clip differently to most.
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Wealth In Wool - With Mark Ferguson neXtgen Agri
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15 Jul

The Breeder's Toolbox: Successful Early Weaning Webinar
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Industry Start - With Mark Ferguson from neXtgen Agri
Hear Nigel and Mark Ferguson from neXtgen Agri share their views on what drives profit in sheep businesses.
Mark explains that fertility and fast growth are the fundamentals. Without lambs on the ground there is no cash flow, and if they are not growing quickly the whole system becomes costly through extra feed and labour.
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About Kerin Poll Merino

Lead, Breed, Succeed

video-thumbnails kerinpoll-merino-thumbnailtoolbox

Find out more about the Kerin Poll Merino

Our Story

Kerin Poll Merino was established in 2009 with the goal to use the traits that made the terminal breeds successful and build them into Merinos. Fifteen years later, you would have to say, without a doubt, mission accomplished.

The average data set for the 500 2025 sale ram team for Post-Weaning Weight is +8.9 when compared to the industry average of +6.2, the proof is in the pudding. These growth rates were achieved without any compromises to Yearling Clean Fleece Weights which are +23.1 for this year’s sale team compared to the industry average of just +19.9.

AboutMerino MerinoQuote2
quote
Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible
Doug Larson
watermark

Genomics, MateSel and Australian Sheep Breeding Values have allowed us to fast track the improvement of our flock's data and we now have Merinos which exhibit the kind of outstanding growth patterns previously only seen in terminal breeds. This has allowed our clients to succeed in producing an animal with increased fertility and fast growth, that converts grass into profit more quickly than their contemporaries.

Understanding the Data Values
video-thumbnails Post-Weaning-Weight-PWT-thumbnail

Post Weaning Weight (PWT)

Post weaning weight describes the genetic difference in liveweight measured at post weaning age. PWT is expressed in kilograms (kg).
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Yearling Weight (YWT)

Yearling weight describes the genetic difference in liveweight measured at yearling age. YWT is expressed in kilograms (kg).
video-thumbnails Yearling-Fat-Depth-YFAT-thumbnail

Yearling Fat Depth (YFAT)

Yearling fat depth describes the genetic difference between animals for fat depth measured at yearling age. YFAT is expressed in millimetres (mm).
video-thumbnails Yearling-Eye-Muscle-Depth-YEMD-thumbnail

Yearling Eye Muscle Depth (YEMD)

Yearling eye muscle depth describes the genetic difference between animals for eye muscle depth measured at yearling age. YEMD is expressed in millimetres (mm).
video-thumbnails Yearling-Clean-Fleece-Weight-YCFW--thumbnail

Yearling Clean Fleece Weight (YCFW)

Yearling clean fleece weight describes the genetic difference as a percentage between animals for clean fleece weight measured at yearling age. YCFW is expressed as a percentage (%).
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Yearling Fibre Diameter (YFD)

Yearling fibre diameter describes the genetic difference between animals for fibre diameter measured at yearling age. YFD is expressed in microns.
video-thumbnails Yearling-Worm-Egg-Count-YWEC-thumbnail

Yearling Worm Egg Count (YWEC)

Yearling worm egg count describes the genetic difference between animals for worm egg count measured at yearling age. YWEC is expressed as a percentage (%).
video-thumbnails Yearling-Staple-Length-YSL-thumbnail

Yearling Staple Length (YSL)

Yearling staple length describes the genetic difference between animals for staple length measured at yearling age. YSL is expressed in millimetres (mm).
video-thumbnails Late-Dag-LDAG-thumbnail

Late Dag (LDAG)

Late Dag describes the genetic difference between animals for the amount of dag in the breech area. LDAG is expressed as a score.
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Understanding the Ram Sale Team Averages (AVG)

AboutMerino AboutMerinoQuote
quote
One reason people resist change is because they focus on what they have to give up, instead of what they have to gain
Rick Godwin
2025 Data Set
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Industry Averages
Kerin Poll Averages
Industry Averages
Kerin Poll Averages

2025 Average Data set
of the 500 auction rams

24
20
16
12
8
4
0
6.2
8.9
8
9.9
19.9
23.1
15.3
21.2
10.4
12.9
pwt
  ywt
  ycfw
  acfw
  ysl
 
0
-5
-10
-15
-20
-25
-30
-17.1
-24.6
-17.1
-24.6
ywec
-2.4
-2
-1.6
-1.2
-0.8
-0.4
0
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
2
2.4
-0.4
-0.7
0.3
0.4
1
1.9
-0.2
-0.6
-0.2
-0.4
0.16
0.16
-1
-0.6
ebwr yfat yemd ebcov ldag wr yfd

2024 Average Data set
of the 550 auction rams

24
20
16
12
8
4
0
5.86
8.99
7.63
9.83
18.69
23.05
14.49
22.2
10.05
12.44
pwt
  ywt
  ycfw
  acfw
  ysl
 
0
-5
-10
-15
-20
-25
-30
-20.31
-24.04
-20.31
-24.04
ywec
-2.4
-2
-1.6
-1.2
-0.8
-0.4
0
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
2
2.4
-0.41
-0.65
0.29
0.3
0.98
1.57
-0.17
-0.6
-0.14
-0.31
0.11
0.14
-0.99
-0.53
ebwr yfat yemd ebcov ldag wr yfd

2023 Average Data set
of the 500 auction rams

24
20
16
12
8
4
0
4.95
8.2
6.58
9.5
pwt
  ywt
 
0
-5
-10
-15
-20
-25
-30
-20.9
-9.88
-20.9
-9.88
ywec
-2.4
-2
-1.6
-1.2
-0.8
-0.4
0
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
2
2.4
-0.36
-0.63
0.16
0.01
0.76
1.2
-0.15
-0.5
0.12
0.11
-1.01
-0.7
ebwr yfat yemd ebcov wr yfd

2022 Average Data set
of the 535 auction rams

24
20
16
12
8
4
0
3.8
8.4
5.5
9.9
pwt
  ywt
 
0
-5
-10
-15
-20
-25
-30
-16.1
-8.3
-16.1
-8.3
ywec
-2.4
-2
-1.6
-1.2
-0.8
-0.4
0
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
2
2.4
-0.2
-0.5
0.2
0.2
0.6
1
-0.9
-0.4
ebwr yfat yemd yfd
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ToolBox Podcasts Humans-of-Agriculture-Podcast-Nigel-Kerin-Kerin-Poll-Merino-Kerin-Wagyu-Kerin-Ag

Tom & Mick: Trading Livestock, Grazing Systems and the Long Game with Nigel Kerin

Tom and Mick from the Humans of Agriculture Podcast are joined by Nigel Kerin, CEO of Kerin Ag, to unpack how his business approaches livestock trading, forward contracts, pasture management, Wagyu, and the systems that drive profitability through both dry and strong seasons. From the role of grass budgets and forward pricing to lessons from drought, inflation and on-farm technology, Nigel shares a grounded look at what it takes to build a resilient livestock business.

In this episode:
✔ How the trading business works.
✔ Why relationships matter.
✔ The 2020 lamb trade.
✔ Should every livestock producer trade?
✔ Technology and grazing systems.
✔ Why Kerin Ag moved into Wagyu.
✔ Inflation and on-farm economics.
✔ Key business lessons.

This episode is full of practical insight for livestock producers, graziers, advisors, seedstock operators and ag businesses thinking about risk, trading, pasture utilisation and long-term business performance. It’s a valuable conversation on how to build guardrails, use data well, and make better decisions through changing seasons and volatile conditions.
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