They only bought the Kokonga Hereford studs in February this year.
“All our heifers and calves have specific genetics ... we can’t get them back. There’s no amount of money that we can buy those ... it’s not like we can buy more cows because they don’t have those genetics.”
She said all the stolen cattle could sell for a price “in the six figures”.
Lereculey was not sure what the thieves would do with the cattle, “breeding I guess, homekill, because it doesn’t make sense”.
She said police were notified immediately and a forensic team got involved.
“But it was outdoors, it was pouring with rain, it was so muddy, there are tyre tracks, but ... they didn’t feel that there’d be any forensic evidence.
“They have been constantly in touch with us trying to find information and look at motorway cameras and local cameras, but they haven’t found anything.
“We have door knocked at every camera we can see in the vicinity of the farm and other people’s properties and it is amazing how many cameras are just decoy cameras.”
She was “absolutely gutted” and said in the past month there had been five such robberies.
The stolen cattle had name tags, she said, adding that “New Zealanders are smart enough to know really cheap cattle would be a red flag and to call the stock agent and call the police”.
Anyone with relevant information is asked to contact police on 105.
