Thousands of sheep found dead at Clunes property

Heavy rains and plummeting temperatures last Sunday are believed to be responsible for the death of the stock at Beckworth Court, one of the largest sheep stations in the region.

The property, which carries around 20,000 sheep, is owned by the Paraway Pastoral Company.

A spokesperson for Paraway Pastoral said management responded to the change in weather condition. 

“The team took account of a rapid deterioration in conditions as the weekend progressed, moving livestock to paddocks offering stands of trees and sheltered areas,” the spokesperson said. 

“The losses primarily involved younger sheep shorn in the weeks leading up to the unexpected change in conditions on the weekend.

“Beckworth Court and its parent, Paraway Pastoral, take great pride in their management of livestock and are saddened by these losses.”

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning and sheep grazier warning for Ballarat and much of the state last weekend. The temperature dropped from 27 degrees on Saturday to 13 degrees by Sunday.  

Victorian Farmers Federation livestock group president Leonard Vallance said it can be hard to manage livestock during extreme weather events, but the loss of a large amount of sheep was rare in Australia. 

“Animal husbandry, farming, and weather technology has improved, so farmers know to increase feed and take their stock to a sheltered area,” he said. 

“The loss of sheep is a very unusual event these days, even in the high country.

“Given the value of sheep at this current time farmers will be doing their utmost to keep them alive.”