44 Story Idea? Email Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Farming | October 2024 Livestock PREVENTING COYOTE PREDATION Not a one-size-fits-all solution. By Emily McKinlay Predation is a risk all livestock producers must contend with. Losing stock to predators results in significant financial loss and emotional stress for their caretakers. Identifying risk areas and deterring predators improves the welfare of both livestock and wildlife. Anita O’Brien, on-farm program lead at Ontario Sheep Farmers, says that in the 2023/2024 fiscal year, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Agribusiness paid out compensation for 1,724 head of livestock lost to predation. In Ontario, coyotes pose the greatest risk to livestock. Bears, wolves, martens, foxes, and birds can also harm cattle, sheep, and other outdoor stock. In the Prairies, wild cats and wild boars present additional danger. Rachel Hawkshaw, a sheep farmer at Topsy Farms on Amherst Island, Ont. has been working to implement a non-lethal approach to managing wildlife-livestock conflict on their farm for the past four years. To do this, they have worked to understand how the coyotes and other predators behave and have modified their approach. To avoid predation, it’s important to understand how predators hunt, and what might deter them. What causes predation trouble? Geography, livestock type, and facilities play a role in which predators are of greatest concern. For farmers, coyotes are the most common challenge. Understanding which predators are most relevant to a specific farm is essential to create effective deterrent strategies. O’Brien explains that while farm management can play a role in attracting predators, the risk is more dependent on the nature of the predators themselves. “Some people believe that if sheep are indoors, they are not at risk of predation. But there have been enough cases of coyotes that have gotten not only into the barn yard, but also made it into a barn and killed sheep. Barns reduce but don’t exclude the risk of predation,” says O’Brien. “We also used to think that risk would increase for farms that were not great at cleaning up deadstock, which we have rules and regulations for. In reality, if coyotes are in your area and consider your farm a part of their territory, and if they are familiar with killing livestock, you are at greater risk than a neighbour in a different coyote family’s territory.” Not all coyotes are interested in livestock, but O’Brien explains that coyotes that have experience with preying on livestock will typically continue to do so. Coyotes are territorial. The Government of Alberta’s “Coyote predation control manual and study guide” states that coyotes are monogamous and will breed around February of each year with a 63-day gestation. “As the female gets closer to having pups, she and her mate will defend the area more aggressively than they would in late fall and during breeding season,” says O’Brien. This behaviour will influence the success of control efforts. Removing problematic predators If a farm has an active predation challenge and is losing animals, it is often necessary to remove the predator through hunting or trapping. O’Brien explains that it is crucial to consider Coyotes pose the greatest risk to livestock in Ontario. Carol Hamilton - stock.adobe.com
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc0MDI3