Bel Brooke Racing Stables owner Trudy Keegan believes the thefts are linked to the ongoing drought because stock feed prices are high amid a shortage of supply.
“It’s a shock,” she said.
“That hay has to last us 12 months, and everybody is struggling.
“It’s no different for anyone involved in farming or horses; when you’ve got animals and have to feed them, then you dedicate your life to that.”
Police told RNZ the bales would have been manually loaded on to a truck or vehicle big enough to take that many.
The Keegans think it may have been quite the operation.
“It had to be a group of people to move that amount of hay ... this wasn’t an opportunist-type situation, it’s been planned.
“We certainly have beefed up security and are putting in cameras today.
“We do think they’ve come in two nights in a row because we hadn’t been in the barn since Monday ... so they probably thought, ‘well this is too easy’.”
The hay barn isn’t visible from the road, but the property is for sale and she worries the drone footage used for advertising is what alerted the thieves to their barn and where to find it.
“It wouldn’t have taken too much to figure out how to get in there in the middle of the night and help themselves,” Keegan said.
The main gate had an entrance pin code on it, but the Keegans believe it could have been disabled by the offenders.
“We can’t find tyre tracks anywhere, so they have to have come in off the road through that main gate ... they could have jumped over and disengaged the gates, which isn’t hard to do,” she said.
Police are urging people to report any unusual activity near East Rd in Stratford.
“The number of bales involved would have stuck out to passing motorists, particularly if being driven at night-time,” police said.
“While inquiries are in their early stages, police would like to hear from anyone with information that may help the investigation.”
The hay is usually worth about $10 a bale, but because of the drought, it has been selling for about $15 a bale – which is what she said could have motivated the thieves.
“And that price will keep going up,” Keegan said.
“We know there is a big shortage going forward into the winter and spring, so it could be they store it and wait to sell, or maybe they already had someone lined up with an order.”
She said finding the stolen hay was nearly impossible because “conventional bales” were all a similar size and usually tied with the same blue shade of baling twine.
“I can’t see how to prove what’s your hay if it does pop up somewhere.
“I guess that’s what makes the thieves so confident.”
Keegan is hoping insurance will cover it, but worries other people could also be targeted because she has heard of several hay thefts reported in the region.
“My advice to people with large amounts of hay is to be very careful and keep up on that insurance, so they can get through and look after their animals.”
‘Absolutely devastated’
Another Taranaki resident, Mel Lines, who lives near New Plymouth, said she had 300 bales worth about $3000 stolen.
“I’m absolutely devastated,” she said.
“We’re in a really bad drought in Taranaki, so it was that realisation that it felt invasive someone had been on the property without me knowing ... and now I don’t have the winter feed I thought I’d have going into winter.
“It’s not a nice feeling at all.”
Lines’ haybarn can be seen from the road, and she told RNZ the theft is especially tough because she grows and cuts a particular type of hay that is safe to feed her horses –meaning she can’t buy regular hay.
“It’s not like I can go out and replace it with hay from down the road ... it’s a particular hay that I grow and is special for my horses, so I don’t end up with massive vet bills or horses being unwell or potentially having to be put down.
“It’s going to be a tough winter.”
Lines doesn’t have much hope of tracking down her special bales.
“I don’t like my chances of finding it ... especially knowing other people have had the same thing happen.
“This is the last thing people in Taranaki need.”
Police advised farmers to ensure gates are locked and to report any suspicious activity to police via 111 if it’s happening or by making a report via 105 if it’s after the fact.
- RNZ
