OMAFRA wants your feedback on raven predation

GUELPH — OMAFRA is asking farmers to fill out a survey so the province can get a sense of how bad raven predation is for sheep and beef producers.
OMAFRA’s small ruminant specialist Jillian Craig and small ruminant livestock assistant Allison Brown are conducting a two-part raven predation project.

Part one involves the province-wide survey that covers raven predation on sheep and beef farms from January, 2017 to today. The survey asks questions such as what killing/injuring methods do you observe (ie. pecking eyes, picking at skull, tearing bellies on mature cows, etc.), expected economic loss from raven predation in a year and if your farm expansion is being held back because of raven predation.

The anonymous survey takes about 15 minutes to fill out. For beef farmers, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VQGJ65W and for sheep farmers, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/V9B2G7R.

Part two of the project includes trying non-lethal raven deterrents on Ontario sheep farms to see what is effective.

The survey results will be posted in the Ontario Sheep Farmers’ and the Beef Farmers of Ontario’ industry magazines later this year.

From April, 2017 to March, 2018, ravens were the fifth-deadliest predator for Ontario farmers, credited with 39 kills, according to OMAFRA’s predator kill report. Last year, that number increased to 72 kills, and they were the sixth-deadliest predator. Of those 72 kills, 49 were sheep and 23 were cattle.