Detective Sergeant Adam Forehan, of the Colac police crime investigation unit, said that between October 24 and November 7 the horned sheep went missing from a Mount Rebecca property on the Cressy-Shelford Road about five kilometres east of Cressy.

"Eight horned stud Merino rams have been stolen. The farmer checked his paddocks for a couple of days but he can't find them or any signs of them," he said.

"They are valued at about $25,000. There's one stud ram with NSW pedigree is valued at above $15,000."

The detective said the rams were horned Merinos so the only way to remove the brands would be to cut the horn off behind the brand, something that would be unusual unless they were poll Merinos.

He said the rams had red ear tags marked RP2765 and brands on their horns were close to the skull, which would be difficult to remove or obvious if there had been an attempt to remove them.

"We are seeking information from the public about the theft. Each ram weighs more than 100kg and it would take some knowledge and the necessary equipment to load them onto a trailer and truck," he said.

Detective Sergeant Forehan said it was also timely to remind all farmers to report any suspicious behaviour they had seen during their travels.

"If it makes you look twice, ask the question, 'I wonder what he's up to?' It's worth considering reporting what you see to police," he said.

"We encourage the use of Crime Stoppers to ensure the intelligence finds it way through appropriate channels. It's Important to note, time, locations, vehicles description and registration plate numbers s as well as physical descriptions of any persons seen," he said.

Anyone with information is requested to contact the Colac police station on 5230 0000 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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