Measured Goats Field Day 2025
Wednesday 17 September 2025
8:30 am to 4:30 pm (Registration from 8 am)
The Measured Goats Field Day will be results-focused. It will showcase findings from the Measured Goats and Going Ahead with Goats projects, delivering clear messages to the industry.
Attendees will hear the industry-transforming results directly from leading researchers and see the goat genomic reference herd. The herd contains a diverse mix of goats from across Australia, representing the diversity that exists in the national herd.
Measured Goats is funded by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Meat and Livestock Australia.
Contents
Agenda
Time | Title | Session Outline |
|---|---|---|
08:00 | Registration | |
08:30 | Welcome & Introductions | Chairs: Trudie Atkinson & Kieran Smith |
08:45 | Official Opening | Dr. Jane Weatherley will open proceedings, explaining why NSWDPIRD invests in supporting the goatmeat industry's development. |
09:00 | Measured Goats –The project | Dr. Tom Granleese will outline the project, revising its objectives and design, and provide an update on progress. In addition, Tomwill present the variation among cohort one bucks in their weaning and post-weaning weight breeding values, highlighting the potential to enhance growth rates and improve the profitability of businesses. |
09:15 | Growth – How do the bucks you select influence kid growth rates and your bottom line? | |
09:45 | Kid Survival – What is the data revealing about this key profit driver? | Dr. Samuel Walkom will provide preliminary insights into what the Measured Goats' reproduction data is indicating about trends in kid survival, describing the implications for crossbreeding strategies and how the results are beginning to inform the most profitable breeding structures for commercial breeders. |
10:00 | The Big, Bold, Beautiful & Scrawny - How did the breeds stack up for carcase traits? | Prof. Peter McGilchrist will present carcase and meat quality data collected on the project's first drop of 767 wethers. The measurements included carcase weight, dressing percentage, ultimate pH of the loin, eye muscle area, fat depth, shear force and intramuscular fat percentage, allowing for a comparison of how the breeds compare for carcase traits. |
10:30 | The Gourmet Goatmeat Salami Story | Jo Stewart will introduce the Gourmet Goat Lady's newest product, walking us through the steps it took to serve the salami for your morning tea. |
10:35 | Morning Tea | |
11:15 | What can DNA teach us about Australian goats? | Dr. Rea Alexandri will use genotype analysis results to answer key questions about Australian goat populations:
Using genomic tools, Rea will provide clear insights into the genetic structure and diversity of these goat populations. |
11:45 | What's out there? Surveillance of reproductive diseases | Dr. Lauren Said will present the results of her honours project, which conducted surveillance for diseases that impact reproduction. |
12:05 | Finding your pathway to profitable genetic gains | Dr. Tom Granleese will discuss pathways that producers running a range of enterprises, from extensive rangelands to dedicated stud breeders, can take to accelerate genetic improvement in their herds, including cost-benefit analysis. |
12:35 | Lunch | |
13:35 | Transfer to yards | |
13:55 | An afternoon at the goat yards– Introduction | Chairs: Trudie Atkinson & Kieran Smith |
14:00 | Goat yard design | Simon Flinn will outline key points for designing commercial goat yards. |
14:05 | Session 1 | Infrastructure Tour Inspect the yards and handling infrastructure while talking to the team about their experience working with the goats in the yards and the equipment. |
14:30 | Session 2 | Inspect - Cohort 2 weaners Inspect cohort 2 weaners bred from several meat buck sires. The weaners will be penned according to their sire group. If the bucks have EBVs, the data will be displayed with their progeny groups. |
14:55 | Session 3 | Inspect - Cohort 2 weaners Inspect cohort 2 weaners bred from several rangeland buck sires. The weaners will be penned according to their sire group. If the bucks have EBVs, the data will be displayed with their progeny groups. |
15:20 | Session 4 | Electronic data collection and use A practical demonstration of data collection methods and information about eID requirements for goats. |
15:45 | Session 5 | Internal Parasite Management Key tips from an expert panel followed by a Q&A |
16:10 | Feedback session | Chairs: Trudie Atkinson & Kieran Smith |
16:15 | Wrap Up – Industry perspective | John Falkenhagen will outline GICA's role and function and close the day with a summary of the top 5 takeaway points for the industry. |
16:30 | Close | |
Please note: All sessions, speakers, and timings are subject to change without prior notice due to unforeseen circumstances or scheduling adjustments.
Meet the presenters
Dr. Jane Weatherley
Jane is NSW DPIRD's Executive Director Agriculture. Jane has over 25 years of experience in the agricultural sector, with a successful track record in research, development, adoption, and industry leadership. Most recently, she served as General Manager, Research, Development & Adoption (RDA) at Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), where she oversaw strategic investments to drive innovation in productivity and sustainability in Australia's livestock industries. Prior to this, for seven years, Jane was the inaugural CEO of Integrity Systems Company (ISC), a subsidiary of MLA. In this role, she led the implementation of livestock traceability and quality assurance programs, securing government funding for strengthening the national livestock traceability platform and Australia's global reputation for biosecurity and food safety.
Dr. Tom Granleese
Tom is a Quantitative Geneticist, working with NSW DPIRD. Tom leads the Measured Goats project and is on a mission to unlock the genetic potential of Australia's goat population with modern genetic selection tools, driving productivity gains for producers. Tom's strengths lie in the adoption of research and collaborative approaches to achieving research outcomes. Tom is also well-known for making a significant difference in the rate of genetic progress in the Australian cattle and sheep industries. He also leads the NSW DPIRD component of the Low Methane Beef Project, showing his commitment to sustainable, future-focused agriculture.
Dr Samuel Walkom
Sam is a Senior Research Fellow with the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU) at the University of New England. He is a leading Australian animal geneticist specialising in quantitative genetics and livestock breeding. Sam plays a pivotal role in developing genetic solutions for livestock improvement. His work spans goats, sheep (meat, wool, dairy), beef cattle, and even bees. One of his most impactful projects involves the genetic evaluation and breeding strategies to combat footrot. Sam's research has contributed significantly to understanding genetic variation in ewe body condition, reproductive performance, and resilience traits. Beyond research, Sam is active in undergraduate teaching and postgraduate supervision at UNE and enjoys frequently engaging with industry stakeholders.
Prof. Peter McGilchrist
Peter is a professor of meat science at the University of New England. Peter's research revolves around ensuring global consumer satisfaction with Australian red meat. This research covers all aspects of red meat supply chains, focusing on critical control points that affect the eating quality of meat from on-farm to the consumer, with a heavy focus on the relationship between genetics and meat quality. Peter is passionate about everything from soil to scotch fillets! He supports the future of the red meat industry by teaching undergraduate students at UNE and serving as president of the Australian Intercollegiate Meat Judging Association.
Jo Stewart
Jo is the Gourmet Goat Lady from Collie, NSW. The Gourmet Goat Lady business produces and supplies Australia's finest farmed goatmeat and speciality products from a family farm in Central Western NSW. Jo and Craig Stewart want to help turn farmed goatmeat into a healthy staple food for all Australian families.
Dr Rea Alexandri
Rea is a geneticist at the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit. She specialises in using genomic data to help improve genetic evaluation across different animal breeds. She has extensive hands-on experience with population genomics and has worked with various livestock species, including goats, sheep, and pigs. Her work focuses on developing practical tools that make genetic evaluation more effective by bridging the gap between complex population genetics research and real-world breeding applications.
Dr. Lauren Said
Lauren is a Lecturer in ruminant health and production at Charles Sturt University. She has worked in rural mixed practices, with a large animal focus, in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, as well as outback Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Lauren has vast amounts of practical experience in livestock medicine, reproduction and production. Lauren enjoys passing on her practical knowledge to student veterinarians. Recently, Lauren completed an honours project, supporting the development of the Australian goatmeat industry.
John Falkenhagen
John is the president of the Goat Industry Council of Australia (GICA). As a designated Commodity Council of the Federation, GICA works to deliver goat industry policy for all goat breeds. John is also a goat producer with experience in dairy and meat production systems.
"See You In Condo"
Condobolin Agricultural Research and Advisory Centre
152 Fifield Road, Condobolin, NSW, 2877
Biosecurity reminder
Please have clean shoes and clean vehicles when entering the research station. A disinfection footbath will be a condition of entry. Please wear appropriate shoes.