Search
Better Farming OntarioBetter PorkBetter Farming Prairies

Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


Raven kills add to the toll on Ontario livestock

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Though bird attacks do far less damage than other predators, such as coyotes, bears and wolves, they do occur, as the mayor of West Grey found out last spring

by DON STONEMAN

Kevin Eccles, the mayor of the municipality of West Grey, was in for a surprise last spring.

In quick succession, the township received claims for two beef calves destroyed as a result of raven attacks.

"I'm a bit of an outdoorsman," Eccles says. "I had heard about (ravens) attacking moose calves in the north, but I had never heard about ravens here until last week."

In fact, according to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), ravens killed 13 calves and 18 sheep in the province of Ontario in the 12 months ending March 31, 2014. In the cases of raven attacks in West Grey, one calf was killed outright. The other was blinded. "It was suggested it be put down," Eccles says, delicately. Whether it is moose calves in the north, or cattle and sheep in southern Ontario, ravens peck out the eyes. Ravens have moved south "but they haven't changed their attitude," Eccles observes dryly.

The Wildlife Damage Compensation Program covers off losses by producers to wild animals, says an OMAFRA spokesperson. The claims are co-ordinated by the municipality in question. In the case of the two West Grey raven claims, both were made in the 2014-2015 fiscal year, after April 1. The municipality pays claims and the province compensates the municipality.

Livestock kills by ravens don't happen often, but they do occur, notes Peter Jeffery, senior researcher with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. Ravens were included as predators for the first time under the latest revisions to the livestock act a few years ago. Previously, farmers couldn't get compensation when ravens attacked their stock.

Ravens have taken a higher toll on livestock farms than one might think in the last two years. OMAFRA compiles statistics on animal kills and injuries based on the province's fiscal year. In the 24 months preceding March 31, 2014, ravens killed 44 head of livestock. It is far less, of course, than the 6,636 head affected by coyotes, 1,879 livestock claims (including bees) attributed to bears and 1,394 blamed on wolves, but nearly three times as many as were credited to bobcats.

Claims due to bears include 668 beehives and bee colonies, valued at more than $67,000 in fiscal 2013-2014. Bears killed or injured 40 head of cattle worth $43,000. Smaller predators, such as raccoons, tend to attack poultry.

The value of livestock damage is another story. OMAFRA spokesperson Susin Micallef says that, even though they are separately defined, municipal valuers interchangeably use those categories. Coyotes and wolves killed or injured 746 head of cattle worth $542,978 and 114 head worth more than $89,000 respectively in 2013-2014.

But it's sheep where coyotes did the most damage, killing 1,719 head valued at $356,647. Wolves were blamed for 368 sheep kills worth more than $68,000. (See chart on the Better Farming website.)

The provincial fund compensated farmers for livestock kills worth $1.755 million in fiscal 2012-2013 and $1.247 million in fiscal 2013-2014. In the earlier fiscal year, cattle claims due to coyotes totaled $713,055 for 910 deaths and injuries. Coyotes were blamed for taking 2,349 sheep worth $516,402. Wolves took 187 cattle valued at $155,807.

A bit surprisingly, since pigs are typically confined, coyotes took eight pigs valued at $3,550 in 2012-2013. There were fewer than five pigs killed by wolves that year. There were no pig claims due to predators in 2013-2014. BF

Current Issue

June/July 2025

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

Ontario Promotes Local Food to Boost Economy and Jobs

Thursday, June 5, 2025

Ontario is celebrating Local Food Week from June 2–8, 2025, honoring the people behind the province’s strong and self-sufficient food supply. From farmers and food processors to retailers and restauranteurs, these individuals contribute to the economy and food security. The agriculture... Read this article online

Scientists at Guelph Target Avian Threat

Thursday, June 5, 2025

The University of Guelph (U of G) is activeey engaged against the spread of avian flu. Experts from a variety of departments, including virology, engineering, veterinary medicine, and computer science, are working together to stop this growing threat. “This is not just a crisis for the... Read this article online

Trouw Nutrition launches IntelEgg

Thursday, June 5, 2025

Trouw Nutrition has announced the launch of , a digital platform designed to empower layer producers with real-time insights and data-driven decision-making tools. The image above shows an demo screen. This browser-based application is set to transform how poultry farmers monitor,... Read this article online

New Precision Ag Digital Digest Coming Soon

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

The Summer 2025 Farms.com Precision Ag Digital Digest will be released on June 11. Summer is upon us! Tillage and seeding are mostly completed (…hopefully), so we are shifting focus to irrigation, baling, spraying, guidance, and harvest (among other topics and technologies). In... Read this article online

BF logo

It's farming. And it's better.

 

a Farms.com Company

Subscriptions

Subscriber inquiries, change of address, or USA and international orders, please email: subscriptions@betterfarming.com or call 888-248-4893 x 281.


Article Ideas & Media Releases

Have a story idea or media release? If you want coverage of an ag issue, trend, or company news, please email us.

Follow us on Social Media

 

Sign up to a Farms.com Newsletter

 

DisclaimerPrivacy Policy2025 ©AgMedia Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Back To Top