Trough thefts final straw for farmer

GUTTED: Farmer David McKay has had two sizeable water troughs stolen from his farm, adding to the nuisance of ongoing sheep thefts.PHOTO/ANDREW BONALLACK

Gladstone farmer David McKay is almost resigned to sheep thefts, but losing two sizeable water troughs last week is approaching the limit.

Mr McKay, who runs a 225ha sheep farm, discovered two plastic troughs had been tidily disconnected from the supply and hauled off.

Since he has all his farm gates padlocked, Mr McKay suspects the thieves emptied out the water and lifted the troughs over the fence to a waiting vehicle.

Luckily the two paddocks had other water sources, otherwise his sheep could have been without water for two or three days.

He reckons it is a loss of around $900 and he's had a "gutsful" with farming losses from theft.

"I've lost 16 sheep between now and Boxing Day, and now they've taken water troughs," he said.

"I had one in each paddock, and I drove past and they were both gone.

"When you're losing 16 sheep, at $100 minimum each, and now... "

He said he's "just about resigned" to losing around 40 sheep a year to theft - something that has been going on for more than five years - but this is something new.

"I have all the gates padlocked, I would never have thought it."

Having paddocks padlocked is a "massive inconvenience" but it is what farmers have to do to slow thieves down, he said.

It comes with being on a road that a lot of people go up and down, he said.

"We seem to be at a point where people get out of their vehicles."