State Highway 2: More than 60 calves stolen from roadside paddock overnight near Dannevirke

Jennifer and Ben Corbin had 65 dairy calves stolen from their roadside paddock along State Highway 2 near Dannevirke.

Farmers along State Highway 2 near Dannevirke woke to find 65 calves had been stolen from their roadside paddock.

Tararua District beef farmer Jennifer Corbin and her husband Ben discovered on Monday morning the lock on their gate had been cut, was left swinging and the calves were gone.

“They knew what they were doing. They knew what their target was and they came prepared.”

Jennifer said the 12-week-old dairy calves were hand-reared, National Animal Identification and Tracing (Nait) tagged and trusting of humans.

“It’s essentially $65,000 worth of stock that has gone overnight, and it’s a pretty massive hole for us to fill.”

The calves were friendly and trusting of humans, according to owner Jennifer Corbin.

She said the animals, which were presold, were loaded on to a truck using their yards late on Sunday night or in the early hours of Monday morning.

“They have set the yards up perfectly to run them up the race, and you can see all the footprints, and it looks like they almost got stuck going out.

“All the hard work was done; they are perfect calves to take because all they need is grass, which is frustrating.”

Jennifer said while the calves were insured, they would likely only receive a payout of about $20,000 once it was settled.

“There is so much rural crime, it’s insane ... unfortunately, people think we make a fortune, but realistically, there is a very small profit margin – it’s heartbreaking.”

Muddy tyre tracks lead from the gateway to the loadout race, where the calves were stolen.

Jennifer said their location along SH2 meant that about 15ha of their farm was near the road.

“Anyone who goes north or south from Hawke’s Bay sees our farm.”

This was not the first time the family had been targeted. About 20 calves between 4 and 7 days old were taken from their calf-rearing shed last year.

Their meter box had also been cut off a power pole.

They had tried to reduce the risk after the last theft by locking all the gates. They were now looking into sensor lights and cameras, and had moved other mobs of calves to another block.

“It’s so frustrating because there is not a lot we can do – we are sort of sitting ducks.”

Sergeant Gary McKernon, of Dannevirke Police, said they were making inquiries and would like to hear from anyone who can assist with the investigation.

“Police urge anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage in the surrounding area between Sunday and Monday to please get in touch with us.

“If you have any information that may assist the police’s inquiries, please contact us through 105, online or via phone.”

Please use the reference number 250721/6190.

Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.