Farmer fined $33,000 for sheep deaths

Paul Ross Henson, 48, of Rongotea, had earlier pleaded guilty to charges of reckless ill-treatment of animals and failing to ensure the needs of his animals were met, laid by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

He was fined $33,000 and ordered to pay $4200 in veterinary costs.

MPI received a complaint to its animal welfare line in June 2015 about dead sheep at Henson's 300ha lease block at Peep O Day, 60km away from his home farm near Rongotea.

An MPI animal welfare inspector found dead hoggets in varying states of decomposition, indicating animals had been suffering and dying for some time.

In total, 111 out of the 600 hoggets on the property were dead.

A further 10 sheep were euthanised as they were unable to stand, in considerable distress and unlikely to recover. The remaining hoggets were in very poor condition.

An independent veterinarian put the deaths and poor state of the live hoggets down to severe gastro-intestinal worm burdens, meaning they could not get enough nourishment from their food.

MPI manager animal welfare compliance Peter Hyde says the hoggets would have died slow miserable deaths from a cause that was entirely preventable.

"Regularly observing the stock and drenching when required would have prevented this happening. It is the responsibility of anyone who owns or manages stock to ensure any signs or ill-health or injury are dealt with quickly to prevent suffering."

The remaining hoggets were able to be returned to good health with a drench and being moved to another block where their health could be better supervised.

In a written statement, Henson says he was working long hours on re-developing his home farm near Rongotea and this contributed to the issue at Peep O Day.