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Kyneton Magistrates Court heard Patrick Joseph Connally, 73, had been a farmer for 40 years.
He was charged by the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions in July last year with 80 counts of animal cruelty after an inspection of his farm.
The court had previously heard Mr Connally allegedly committed two acts of aggravated cruelty, resulting in the death of one sheep and two cows.
Mr Connally pleaded guilty in court on Monday to more than 30 charges, including those offences.
The remaining charges were dropped by the prosecution on Monday before Connally entered his plea.
The charges to which Connally pleaded guilty related to the care of more than 1,000 animals on his property in Baynton, south of Heathcote, over three months from May 2019.
They included failing to provide food for the herds of sheep and cattle, including a lactating cow.
They also included 21 charges of aggravated cruelty for causing the serious disablement of eight sheep and 13 cows.
Court documents show that Mr Connally confined 285 cattle inappropriately at a Baynton farm and failed to provide them with proper and sufficient food.
Farmer blames drought
The court also heard about 800 of Connally’s sheep were underfed.
Connally’s lawyer acknowledged the seriousness of the offences, which resulted in animals being sold or euthanised.
However, the court heard it happened during drought conditions, and that Connally had been without incident before — or since.
Connally was fined $7,500.
No conviction was recorded.
