A Tipperary dairy farmer has offered a cash reward to anyone who can provide information which leads to the recovery of seven heifers taken from his farm in Cloughjordan.

Keelan Troy told the Irish Farmers Journal that the animals were taken between 11pm on Friday and 6am on Saturday.

“We had the seven Friesian heifers in a small paddock not too far away from the house. They were ready for the bull next week and were our first set of home-reared heifers,” Troy said.

“My father was out on the farm from 6am and was first to notice they were missing. He had a good look around and didn’t notice and breaks in the fence or dirt on the road where they might have broken out.”

Sickening incident

Troy converted from suckler farming to dairying in 2020. He said that Saturday’s incident isn’t the first theft to have taken place on his farm, with five bucket calves stolen in 2014.

“These animals didn’t vanish. We searched the area and we are sure they were loaded on to a trailer from the paddock gate. The roadway is lined with houses and no one goes down it unless they live in there,” Troy continued.

“The thieves must know the lay of the land to have chanced coming in. It’s a sickening thing to happen and they will be hard to replace with the price good breeding heifers are making at the moment.”

Troy has reported the theft to gardaí and the Department of Agriculture.

“We’re offering a cash reward for the recovery of the animals. Anyone who comes forward with information relating to the theft will be well looked after.”