Broccoli is one of the most nutritious vegetables around the world. It is blessed with many health benefits needed for a human body.
However, other animals also have been known for consuming broccoli for its distinctive qualities. Today, we are going to discuss and find out whether deer eat broccoli or not.
Do deer eat broccoli?
Deer are known for eating broccoli due to several reasons. Broccoli plants, leaves, and stalks have a tremendous amount of mineral, vitamin, anti oxidant, and fiber in them. Deer also enjoy the taste & scent of broccoli plant and face no problem when it comes to digesting broccoli.
Table of Contents
Let’s look at different parts of broccoli and see if deer can eat them.
Broccoli leaves:
Broccoli leaves posses a high amount of minerals, vitamins, anti oxidants, and fiber. Deer prefer eating the leaves of broccoli.
If you are a vegetable gardener and have been growing broccoli for a long time, you would be familiar with the problem of deer invasion in your garden. Because deer love feeding on the broccoli leaves because of their taste and food nutrients.
Broccoli leaves pose no danger to deer as they do not have any toxic element in them. Rather it covers the need of vegetable on a deer’s daily diet. Once deer get the taste of broccoli leaves, they will not stop eating them.
Deer are not a picky eater. The fact that broccoli leaves are good for their body and growth makes broccoli leaves a safe and sufficient source of food.
Broccoli plants:
Broccoli plants are a good choice of food for deer due to several reasons. The main reason behind this is the important food elements they contain.
Deer need the vitamin, mineral, anti oxidant, and fiber provided by the broccoli plants. So deer do not miss out on a chance of eating broccoli plants.
All the parts of broccoli plants are edible for deer. Because broccoli plants do not have any poisonous elements in them. Broccoli plants are beneficial for the overall health and growth of deer.
It is very difficult keep deer away from broccoli plants after they have tasted them. Deer like the taste od broccoli plants and consider them as a beneficial source of food for their survival.
Broccoli stalks:
Broccoli stalks are a healthy choice of food for deer. Broccoli stalks possess a very low amount of calories.
But the important thing about broccoli stalks is that they have a high amount of fiber in them. It means broccoli stalks improve the digestive system of deer as fiber is known for doing such a thing.
Broccoli stalks also taste good to the taste buds of deer and they do not have any problem when it comes to eating the broccoli stalks.
Vegetable gardeners sometimes find it difficult to repel deer from their gardens because of broccoli stalks in the garden.
Broccoli stalks are safe for deer to consume as they do not cause any toxic reaction inside a deer’s body.
Rather broccoli stalks can help the growth of deer with their food components. It is believed by experts that feeding broccoli stalks to deer causes them no harm at all.
Will deer eat broccoli rabe?
Another name of broccoli rabe is rapini plant. Despite having the name broccoli rabe, rapini is not in any way related to broccoli. Broccoli and broccoli are two different vegetables. The only similarity between these two vegetables is their outlook.
However, broccoli rabe is also nutritious for deer because of its food components just like broccoli. So deer will not shy away from eating broccoli rabe of your garden if they get a chance.
Broccoli rabe is full of vitamins, minerals, and fibers. Eating broccoli rabe does not cause any harm to deer as it is not toxic in any way.
Broccoli rabe is not a bad choice of food for deer due to the health benefits and digestibility. It also helps the proper growth of deer by being a beneficial addition on a deer’s daily diet.
Is broccoli deer resistant or deer-proof?
It is believed by gardening and animal experts that broccoli is neither deer resistant nor deer-proof.
There are many valid reasons behind this. First of all, broccoli does not have a strong aroma that causes deer any discomfort. Rather the scent of broccoli draws deer toward it instead of repelling them.
Secondly, the taste of broccoli is good enough to make deer fall in love with it. Deer love eating broccoli due to its distinctive taste. Moreover, eating broccoli plants, stalks, and leaves do not cause any health problems for deer.
In fact, all the parts of broccoli are edible and important for the health and growth of deer. So if we take all of these into consideration, then it can be safely said that broccoli is not deer resistant or deer-proof.
Do deer like broccoli?
According to animal and garden experts, deer like broccoli a lot. Broccoli ranks high on the list of vegetables and plants that deer prefer eating. Deer are drawn towards broccoli because of its unique texture and scent.
Deer find it easy to eat broccoli as it is digestible and does not create any toxic reaction upon digestion.
Deer are able to handle the food components of broccoli as these components are digestible for them. If you have unprotected broccoli in your garden, then deer will most likely end up eating the broccoli plants.
Deer are intelligent enough to know that broccoli is a wise choice of food for them. So they will not miss out the opportunity of consuming broccoli easily. Many deer hunters grow broccoli in their food plot to attract deer. This is how much deer like broccoli.
How to keep deer from eating broccoli plants?
Keeping deer from eating broccoli plants might seem like a difficult task if you have no prior experience regarding the matter. However, there are some steps and methods you can follow to accomplish the task. Let’s discuss in detail about them.
Plantation of deer resistant plants:
If you are tired of deer invasion in your vegetable garden and want to keep deer from eating the broccoli plants, then you can start by planting deer resistant plants around the broccoli plants.
The list of deer resistant plants include garlic, daffodil, marigold among others. The smell of these plants are capable of keep deer away from broccoli plants for good.
Usage of protective barriers:
Another way of keeping deer from eating broccoli plants is by using protective barriers around the broccoli plants. The protective barriers need to be tall enough keep out deer from reaching the broccoli plants.
Eight feet tall protective barriers having barb wires on top might be able to stop deer from eating the broccoli plants.
Usage of scented soap:
Scented soap can be useful when it comes to repelling deer from broccoli plants. You can mix scented soaps such as irish spring soap with water and spray it around the broccoli plants to keep deer out.
Deer are not capable of filtering out the scent of soaps and will be affected immediately by the powerful aroma of soap and water mixture.
Usage of rotten egg:
Deer do not particularly enjoy the strong aroma of rotten eggs. Deer have been known for avoiding areas that have the scent of rotten eggs.
If you want to keep deer from eating the broccoli plants of your garden, then you can use rotten eggs around the broccoli plants. This will effectively deter the deer away from the broccoli plants.
Usage of human hair:
Deer associate the smell of human hair with the presence of a human being. This trick can be used to stop deer from eating the broccoli plants.
You can sprinkle the human hair around the broccoli plants and deer will stay away from those plants because of the smell of human hair.
Usage of pet dog:
Deer are afraid of dogs. So if you have a pet dog, then giving it the freedom to roam around the garden will stop the deer from eating broccoli plants.
Is broccoli good or bad for deer?
Broccoli is considered to be a good addition on the daily diet of deer. The reason behind this is the food components of broccoli.
Broccoli is blessed with lots of vitamins, minerals, anti oxidants, and fibers. All these elements are crucial for the overall development of deer.
All the parts of broccoli possess these important elements. That is why broccoli has been labelled as a good choice of food by both animal and gardening experts. Broccoli is safe and healthy for deer to consume.
Final Thoughts
Deer are able to eat broccoli as it does not contain any harmful element for them. Broccoli belongs to the list of vegetables deer prefer eating due to the food nutrients provided by it. Eating broccoli on a daily basis can improve the health condition of deer significantly.