The Sheep Show Podcast with Jill & Andrew Noble

How does a sheep enterprise stack up on returns $$$ 30.05.2026 56min

Get in touch to share sheeping stories or questions anytime! So Andrew and I have explored our returns per acre on our farms but how do sheep stack up against other farming enterprises in terms of returns per acre and $$. We used a 50 acre farm in South Gippsland in Australia which is quite similar to some areas of Ireland in grass yield terms to compare the production systems. We explored five different production systems and you'll be surprised which one comes out on top! Enjoy! ...

Pregnancy scanning mixed emotions 2026 23.05.2026 43min

Get in touch to share sheeping stories or questions anytime! So it's Jill's turn to preg scan her sheep and firstly find out how many sheep she has! Mixed emotions in this scan and some things to reflect on for next year as always. Enjoy this episode and let us know if you are preg scanning your ewes and what your emotions are like!! Designer Mini Goldendoodle puppiesDesigner Golden Doodles offers the best quality mini and micro mini goldendoodle puppies.Support the show Thank you for support...

Finishing lambs - is it worth it? 18.05.2026 37min

Get in touch to share sheeping stories or questions anytime! So the dilemma, should I hold or sell? In this episode we are exploring what business are we in? We know we can't do everything or at least we can't do everything well on our farms so what decisions do we make when we wean our lambs - do we keep and finish or do we sell as store lambs for someone else to finish? No quick and easy answer but we explore the angles in our chat - enjoy! Designer Mini Goldendoodle puppiesDesigner Golden ...

Smart shepherding when you are solo sheeping 09.05.2026 48min

Get in touch to share sheeping stories or questions anytime! So what happens when you are on your own and you have to do sheep stuff? In this ep we explore the jobs we need to do and how to manage them when you are solo sheeping and solo farming. Some tips and tricks from us but we'd love to hear yours! Contact us on IG at Hallston Valley Farm or email at jill@hallstonvalleyfarm.com.au Want to podcast yourself!? Use this link for a discount of your Buzzsprout paid plan. https://www.buzzspro...

Farming philosophies - organic, conventional, traditional, regenerative 02.05.2026 53min

Get in touch to share sheeping stories or questions anytime! What are the pros and cons according to the world of Andrew and Jill of these different farming approaches. What do they all look like and what challenges might they all have in a changing world of farming and sheep farming when farming can be as much about politics as philosophy. Designer Mini Goldendoodle puppiesDesigner Golden Doodles offers the best quality mini and micro mini goldendoodle puppies.Support the show Thank yo...

Sheep Farm Economics: what to measure and what sort of numbers to track 25.04.2026 47min

Get in touch to share sheeping stories or questions anytime! If your ewes paid the rent what would they need to generate to cover that cost, what do you generate per acre and we are not talking stock rates here. In this episode we explore several economic equations that work for us and that might work for you. We also cover other measures to track which might suit your enterprise even better? You can't manage what you don't measure! Designer Mini Goldendoodle puppiesDesigner Gol...

Lamb (and red meat) is a super food! Jill becomes a red meat ambassador! 20.04.2026 40min

Get in touch to share sheeping stories or questions anytime! Who knew! Red meat and lamb is protein packed, nutrient dense and good for us! In this chatty ep we explore Jill's new role as an Meat and Livestock Australian Red Meat Ambassador and what bang for our buck we get when we consume lamb! We also talk about eat lamb in restaurants and hotels including the amazing Slieve Russell Hotel in County Cavan! https://www.mla.com.au/marketing-beef-and-lamb/mla-ambassadors-for-the-red-meat-...

Sheep Happens: Lessons from lambing (IR) and joining (OZ) 2026 11.04.2026 32min

Get in touch to share sheeping stories or questions anytime! Two countries, two seasons and plenty of leanings. In this episode we reflect on the wins, the challenges and the decisions we'd change when it comes to lambing and joining. An honest unfiltered debrief with some hard truths and improvements for next year. We hope this helps you too! Listening on Spotify? Leave a comment and share what changes you might make for 2027! Designer Mini Goldendoodle puppiesDesigner Golden Doodles offers ...

Sellling meat direct in Ireland and Australia - how to make it work for everyone! 05.04.2026 42min

Get in touch to share sheeping stories or questions anytime! What would selling direct do for your sheep enterprise? What would it do for your local community and economy? How can we keep things local in these challenging times? Well selling meat direct might be a genuine win,win,win - literally everyone benefits from this model of selling direct from a farm. In this episode we explore what this looks like both in Australia and Ireland and how you can get closer to your customer and sha...

Five things that suck your profit margin with sheep farming? 29.03.2026 50min

Get in touch to share sheeping stories or questions anytime! We know things are tough and sheep farming can have the smallest of margins for most of us so what are the leavers we have and what sucks the profit out of sheep farming? In this episode we explore the five main things that impact your profit when it comes to sheep farming. Here are some of the formulas mentioned in the pod. Lambs weaned divided by ewes joined x 100 150% excellent 120-130% good under 110% needs focus/tweaking ...

Systems for early sheep selection 21.03.2026 32min

Get in touch to share sheeping stories or questions anytime! So how do you make selections for self replacing ewes and rams, can you do this at the moment of birth and if so how can you track it so at weaning the selection decisions are simple, easy and quick. In this episode as we support Andrew who is thick into lambing and running on very little sleep and very little food (a bit like fuel reserves in Australia right now!), we discuss some options on how to make selection decisions early in...

Operation Foster Lamb - how to get ewes to raise more lambs so you don't have to! 15.03.2026 39min

Get in touch to share sheeping stories or questions anytime! Bottle fed lambs are cute but often not productive and a huge time suck so how can you get your ewes to do more of the heavy lifting. In this episode we explore the ways to foster and the tools that can be used to foster lambs into ewes. We chat about maiden ewes/hoggets in particular and why they are the often the secret sauce in your fostering tool kit - Enjoy! Designer Mini Goldendoodle puppiesDesigner Golden Doodles offers the b...

Happy hooves with sheep 08.03.2026 25min

Get in touch to share sheeping stories or questions anytime! Andrew's game changer with sheep hooves, how to have 100% happy hooves 100% of the time with Jill's prevention measures and just how complex things can get with hooves and sheep. Enjoy this happy feet episode! Designer Mini Goldendoodle puppiesDesigner Golden Doodles offers the best quality mini and micro mini goldendoodle puppies.Support the show Thank you for supporting our pod! Sign up via our sheep supporters tab ! https:...

Predicting parasite issues in your sheep 01.03.2026 49min

Get in touch to share sheeping stories or questions anytime! Parasites and sheep regardless of where you farm are a huge risk and a constant battle. We know about drenching and how to deal with parasites when they arise but can you predict parasites before they actually happen? In this episode we explore the parasite lifecycle, our go to product for dealing with parasites and how we can forecast and predict the parasite explosion before it impacts our sheep. Designer Mini Goldendoodle p...

Lanark sheep breed focus 22.02.2026 50min

Get in touch to share sheeping stories or questions anytime! The most popular sheep in the UK with a huge range of options for breeding the Lanark sheep are turely an amazing breed. They are also the breed of sheep that Andrew breeds pure. So join us as we delve into the wonderful world of Lanark sheep in this fun filled (as always!) episode! Designer Mini Goldendoodle puppiesDesigner Golden Doodles offers the best quality mini and micro mini goldendoodle puppies.Support the show Thank ...

Experiencing a farm audit 15.02.2026 30min

Get in touch to share sheeping stories or questions anytime! Recently Jill went through a Meat and Livestock Australia audit. Andrew has previously been through a Bord Bia farm inspection in Ireland. So what are farm audits all about and how can you prepare for one. We explore this and the opportunity that audits present in this episode. Some links that were mentioned in the episode: https://www.mla.com.au/globalassets/mla-corporate/meat-safety-and-traceability/documents/livestock-produ...

Managing and preparing for extremes 08.02.2026 28min

Get in touch to share sheeping stories or questions anytime! Weather conditions have been extreme for Andrew and I, probably just like you are facing right now. In this episode we explore the impact of this on sheep, what we are dealing with and some strategies to help manage things during the extreme conditions as well as making the impact less on your sheep. Enjoy! Designer Mini Goldendoodle puppiesDesigner Golden Doodles offers the best quality mini and micro mini goldendoodle puppie...

Healthy Ewes- Managing Preg Tox, Toxo & Joining Success 01.02.2026 1u 6min

Get in touch to share sheeping stories or questions anytime! Wherever you are in the world no doubt you are (or will be) facing challenges with your sheep at joining and in the final trimester of pregnancy. So in this ep we explore the main issues and what we do across our two hemispheres to deal with these issues and more importantly try to prevent them from happening. Prevention is always better than treatment but prevention is always possible either so it's prevention and preparation...

The essential prelambing tool for any sheep farmer 25.01.2026 45min

Get in touch to share sheeping stories or questions anytime! If there was one thing to do this year it would be preg scanning. In this episode we explore Andrew's pregnancy scanning results. We discuss how he uses this info to make decisions about feed, management, selling/cash flow and selection of animals to keep for sale or breeding. Pregnancy scanning sheep is a must do activity to help you with so many decisions. Designer Mini Goldendoodle puppiesDesigner Golden Doodles offers the ...

Cash flow in sheep farming - what's the secret to a stready,sustainable stream!? 18.01.2026 53min

Get in touch to share sheeping stories or questions anytime! Ahh the challenge of farming with income once or twice a year and expenses all year round, with unpredictable weather, the difficulties of forecasting and projecting everything in sheep farming how can you create and sustain a stream of cash flowing into your sheep enterprise? In this episode from across two hemispheres we explore these challenges and more and look at solutions and strategies to prevent cash flow issues and also enc...