Live sheep were left with eyes pecked out by crows and gunshot wounds to the head under the care of a Goulburn man, the RSPCA claims.

Peter James Reardon, who works out of a stock and station agent, escaped jail after pleading guilty to seven charges of animal cruelty at Goulburn Local Court on Monday.

The RSPCA claims Mr Reardon left hundreds of sheep mutilated or dying. They say he dragged one living ewe behind his quad bike, claiming he thought it was dead.

He was sentenced to 12 months suspended imprisonment and a two-year good behaviour bond.

An RSPCA spokesperson said that on June 14, 2015, an inspector euthanised a number of dying sheep lying against the fence of the property, located on Mountain Ash Road.

They said the inspector then followed a creek to find huge numbers dead and rotting sheep in and out of the water.

The stench of decomposing animals made them believe the sheep had been dying for weeks, if not months.

"The inspector found a small amount of extremely poor quality pasture hay with three sheep lying in it, one with a lamb attempting to suckle off her, and nearby two recently deceased ewes," the spokesperson said.

"The inspector tried to get the live sheep to stand but they were too weak. It was obvious there were dead sheep everywhere that the inspector looked – approximately 60 were counted, despite the poor visibility. "

They said a total of 31 sheep were euthanised and an orphan lamb was seized during further inspections in the next few days.

The RSPCA claims one ewe was found alive in the middle of a pile of dead sheep after being dragged about 100 metres, with skin ripped off on one side.

"One eye had been pecked out by crows, and now the other eye was exposed to the sky and potentially further crow attacks," the spokesperson said.

"Mr Reardon later said he had dragged the ewe behind his quad bike, not realising she was alive. However, he would have had to bind her legs at close range, and it would have been obvious to anyone that she was still alive."

When the RSPCA contacted Mr Reardon, he claimed the sheep were all dying from pregnancy toxaemia and hadn't taken them to the vet because he already knew what their illnesses were.

He said he couldn't remember where he had put lick blocks that supply protein. The inspectors couldn't find any at the property.

Mr Reardon admitted to shooting one ewe found alive with a gunshot through the side of her head, saying he thought she was dead but he hadn't checked.

He claimed he saw the sheep most days and their health was improving.

The RSCPA said he was ordered to feed and drench the sheep and remove all the dead bodies from the waterways, which are part of the larger Sydney catchment area.

Over the following weeks, Mr Reardon worked with the district veterinarian who advised on feeding the mostly aged broken-mouthed sheep.

Pathology results showed serious intestinal parasite burdens that could have been easily treated with an oral drench, which Mr Reardon's workplace sells and specialises in.

The RSPCA claims the court heard he also could have easily sought advice and food, but he hadn't attempted either.

"The Magistrate found that the level of cruelty was above mere neglect that had an explanation, and found the need for a powerful deterrence in the way of this sentence," the spokesperson said.

"Her Honour accepted that there had been significant improvements in the conditions on the property since working with a veterinarian, but found there was a need for close monitoring and supervision to ensure no relapse or further offending."