A north-east farmer fears he could be as much as £90,000 out of pocket after his flock of pregnant pedigree ewes was stolen.
Rory Gregor believes whoever took his 31 Beltex sheep had staked-out his flock before striking.
The 23-year-old discovered they were missing when he went to feed them in their field three miles from his Aberdeenshire home.
He said each animal was worth at least between £500-£1,000, but added that he sold one of the Beltex sheep for more than £2,000 last year.
All the ewes had were due to lamb within the next few days.
Mr Gregor, who works by day as a structural designer, estimated he had been left more than £30,000 out of pocket – but the potential value of the expected lambs would more than doubles that figure.
Police believe a 4×4 vehicle with a trailer may have been used in the theft.
The sheep were taken from a field north of the B993 Port Elphinstone-Monymusk road, near Kemnay Driving Range.
Mr Gregor, of Cairnton Farm, Kemnay, said: “It’s a massive loss. It was only when I went around in the evening I noticed.
“At that location I only have the 31, all of which were stolen..
“I couldn’t believe it for a start. I have been building my own sheep business since the age of about 10. It is a flock I have been committing all my spare time to since a very young age.
“These are all pedigree and pure bred sheep, the value is pretty high for them. It is like my funding I use to breed all stock.
“Thirty-one sheep can have 50 lambs, 31 sheep here is effectively 80 sheep if stolen. The value of the £30,000 is trebled. This year’s income is out the window.
Mr Gregor said he and others in the farming community had been left feeling “under threat” following the incident.
He added: “What can you do security-wise? We can’t put padlocks around every field we have got.
“Somebody has watched this field of sheep prior to stealing them. They could be the other end of the country by now.”
He added that the animals had distinctive blue numbers ranging between 12-72 on their backs which would make them stand out.
He discovered the sheep had vanished on Monday.