There are fears two men in a van may have scoped out a Perthshire farm before stealing several ewes and lambs.
Alasdair Kinninmonth says he is devastated after the six sheep and their 11 offspring were stolen on Monday night.
The theft happened on Kinnighallen Farm at Fortinghall, near Aberfeldy.
Alasdair, 69, said: “I’m devastated at what has happened.
“It’s not just the financial loss – it’s about all the work and effort that goes into breeding and raising the sheep.”
Sheep theft may be part of organised activity
The farmer says he has been told about two men travelling the area in a blue van in recent days, and believes the theft may have been part of organised activity to steal sheep ahead of sales in August.
He said: “The financial loss to me is around £2,000. That’s a lot in the current climate when you take in the cost of feed and other expenses.
“The thieves must have been organised to come with a trailer and then have somewhere to keep them until they can sell them.
“Others have spoken about seeing this van and I reckon they have been checking out my farm with an eye to stealing the ewes and lambs.”
Alasdair has worked on the farm all his life – and discovered the sheep were gone when he went to check on the ewes and their new lambs on Tuesday morning.
He said: “They were in a field and I check them every morning – counting them to make sure they haven’t been got at by things like foxes or anything.
“That was when I discovered that six of the ewes and 11 lambs were missing.
“It seems they came in the hours of darkness between Monday night and Tuesday morning.
“They would have pulled their trailer up to the gate and lifted the lambs – who would then bleat for their mums – who would follow and then they would all be loaded into the trailer.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “On Tuesday we received a report of the theft of sheep from a field near Fortinghall, Aberfeldy, that happened overnight.
“Inquiries are ongoing.”
The incident comes just days after a farmer near Kelty revealed he had lost 17 lambs in a suspected dog attack.