Rustlers Weren’t City Slickers, Says Dairyman

Cattle rustlers who struck dairies southwest of town apparently were not greenhorns.

“They must have been fairly clear about our schedule,” said C Bar M Dairy owner Jan Ledbetter. Fourteen heifer calves disappeared from a pen checked on periodically throughout the night, she said.

Tire tracks indicate the thieves knew to avoid impassable mud holes and other obstacles. And they also knew just where to park to be near the calves’ pen while still staying out of sight.

The C Bar M was among three dairies hit last week, the Jerome County Sheriff’s Department reported. The L Bar M lost 40 calves, while 16 were stolen from the DeKruyf Dairy, the report says.

The thefts were all probably committed by the same rustlers, but there were no suspects Friday, Sheriff Jim Weaver said.

Only heifer calves were taken, probably because they are worth far more than bull calves, he said. The total estimated value is $17,100.