Sheep buyer compensated after getting more than he bargained for

A central Victorian producer bought ewes he thought were an empty line - until they started lambing. He’s won compensation but said buyers need to beware of a widely used term.

Sheep producers are being urged to verify pregnancy status when purchasing ewes as “not station mated”, following a case in central Victoria where a supposed empty line turned out to be anything but.

The warning follows a producer’s experience in which about 60 per cent of ewes purchased as NSM in November began lambing in February. The buyer, who asked not to be named, described the fallout as “chaotic” and “stressful”.

“I believed the term ‘not station mated’ was a firm statement that should offer a high degree of confidence to potential buyers,” the producer said.

“However, some in the livestock industry seem to accept a watered-down version, which implies that NSM does not guarantee that the stock are not pregnant.”

The unintended lambing caused major disruptions to the farmer’s breeding program. The summer-drop lambs struggled in the heat, additional feed costs were incurred and there was a significant increase in workload.

The matter was later resolved through a “moderate compensation” payment from the vendor, but the producer believes the broader issues remains unaddressed.

“The integrity of the livestock industry would benefit from the use of precise definitions to designate the identified pregnant status of breeding stock offered for sale,” he said.

“Buyers would have more confidence and be prepared to pay a premium if they knew for certain that NSM breeding stock were not pregnant.”

NSM in the description of ewes does not guarantee they are not in lamb. Picture: Zoe Phillips

But Australian Livestock and Property Agents Association president and Wagga Wagga agent Peter Cabot said the NSM description carried little assurance.

“It really doesn’t mean anything – if buyers want to know that the ewes are empty, they need to buy them as scanned empty,” Mr Cabot said.

“We have sales where we scan all ewes to prove it - the cost of about $1 a head is not a lot when ewes are making anywhere from $200 upwards.”

On online selling platform AuctionsPlus, NSM is a recognised descriptor. Buyers have 48 hours after delivery to raise a claim if NSM ewes are found to be pregnant – but pregnancies are not always detectable within that timeframe.

AuctionsPlus integrity lead Chloe Pike said less than 0.25 per cent of lots sold through the online platform each year attracted claims for such defects.

She said the company encouraged buyers to seek NSM stock with added assurance, such as vendor declarations of “no access to rams” or evidence of scanning.

“Frequently stock are listed as NSM and scanned empty or that PG (progesterone injection) will be given at delivery to ensure they are empty,” she said.

“While we understand that may not suit every buyer, some vendors are aware that this may entice the buyer who is seeking empty stock.

“Pregnancy can be the biggest management cost to a producer if it doesn’t go right, so while our assessment contains almost every question a buyer can think to ask regarding stock, we encourage buyers to contact the agent or vendor prior to placing a bid to ensure they feel confident the lot they are purchasing is fit for their intended purpose.”