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Do Deer Eat Hay? (All You Need to Know)

Hay is considered a type of plant that can be cut, dried, and stored for feeding animals. Usually, the hay is cut in the field while it’s green.

Then dried to store them so that it can be fed to the cattle during drought. In today’s article, we will discuss if the deer eats hay. 

Deer eat hay

Deer prefers to eat grass, leaves, and herbs as they are herbivorous. However, it is a good idea to feed the deer with hay when the deer are often short of food sources due to drought in summer. It will help them to gain energy and let them survive during the shortage of food.

Deer is known as herbivorous animals and they like to eat anything leafy and green. That is why they usually eat vegetables, fruit plants, leaves, herbs, and many more as a part of their daily diet.

However, they also like to eat hay. Hay is basically, dried grass and other foliage that is used as animal feed. They are simply grown in the fields, harvested when they are green, and dried in the sun so that they can be fed to the animals during the drought.

That is why, when the deer is hungry, if you provide them with the proper amount of hay, they will even eat that. It is also a cheap food option for deer. But you need to make sure that they do not get overfed.

In addition to that, it does not contain a high amount of nutrition so you shouldn’t feed hay to the deer frequently. It is made using a mixture of different types of grass. Sometimes the hay consists of stems, leaves, and seed heads of plants that are fresh.

There is a variety of hay available for the deer to eat such as dry hay and cut hay.

But not all are suitable for the deer. You can try feeding your deer with Timothy hay because it is better suited for deer as a food material.

It is best to feed the deer with dry hay during the summer because during this period there is a shortage of adequate food for the animal. Below is a brief discussion of whether different types of deer eat hay or not:

Whitetail deer: 

Whitetail deer are found to be picky when it comes to their food. They usually like to eat nutritious plant parts that are easily digestible.

However, the grass cannot be digested efficiently by the white-tailed deer. That is why it is better to avoid feeding hay to whitetail deer during winter.

Mule deer: 

Since the mule deer are considered natural browsers, providing them with hay, which is a diet food can cause harm to their body. In some cases, overfeeding of hay can cause the elimination of mule deer as well.

Roe deer: 

Since the Roe deer is herbivorous, they can eat hay. But it should be fed within a limit.

Muntjac deer: 

The muntjac deer are not grazers. So, they do not like to eat dried hay. Instead, they will eat fresh grass and leaves from the plants.

Axis deer:

The best type of hay that can be provided to the axis deer can be the peanut hay. This is highly nutritious and provides them with good energy.

Will deer eat hay in the winter? 

During the winter, the deer need a lot of calories to keep themselves warm and protein to survive and function properly. You can feed them with her during the winter, but it is recommended to avoid making hay their staple.

In some cases, it is completely prohibited to feed the deer with hay during winter. Although the deer are known as selective pickers, they will eat anything that comes their way when they are in search of food.

The survival of a deer enables it to rely on its fat reserves for most of its bodily functions and energy requirements.

But sometimes they still need to eat. So, the deer will eat hay in the winter if they cannot manage to get enough food. But you need to be careful and prevent them from overfeeding.

Do deer like to eat hay? 

Hay is a type of grass, legumes, and other herbs that have been cut and dried to feed the animal in the future. It is often fed to domestic animals. The deer also like to eat hay. Generally, the deer are known as selective pickers when it comes to their food.

But sometimes they will eat anything that comes their way when they are hungry. So, it is normal for them to eat hay. But in some cases, they are often attracted to the older hay that has mushrooms growing on it.

Because they love to eat the mushroom. But it is not a good idea to provide your deer with hay as a regular food as it contains very less amount of nutrition. So, you can dry and store them in the future when there is a shortage of food for the deer.

Do deer eat this hay?

Deer is a type of herbivorous animal that usually likes to eat plants, herbs, shrubs, leaves, and even green leafy vegetables.

Although they are quite picky when it comes to their food, they will eat anything that comes their way when they are in desperate search of food or there is a shortage of it.

Usually, they look for foods that contain a high amount of nutrition so that they can provide them with energy to survive throughout the day.

In addition to that, overfeeding hay can cause serious health damage to the deer. So, it is always recommended to feed the deer with hay by maintaining a limited amount of hay. Below is a brief discussion on whether deer eat different types of hay:

Alfalfa hay: 

Yes, the deer likes to eat alfalfa because it is a great foraging crop and it can be also used for deer food plots. It is highly suited for the deer to eat, so you can feed them with alfalfa hay.

Timothy hay: 

Timothy hay is the most preferred material to use as bedding for the deer than food. In addition to that, it has a very low amount of nutrition. So, you should not feed your deer Timothy hay frequently.

Baled hay: 

Baled Hayes are available in round and square shapes, which are mostly eaten by horses and cows. In addition to that, it can be too prickly for a deer to swallow. As a result, they may start to nibble at bits.

Grass hay: 

Deer is an herbivorous type of animal that likes to eat fresh green leaves and herbs. If you provide them with grass hay, they will not eat it. Rather, they like to eat fresh green grass.

Peanut hay:

You can try giving your deer to eat peanut hay. It is an ideal element for the deer to eat as it has 55 to 67% of digestibility for the deer.

How to keep deer away from hay?

Generally during the summer, deer face a serious shortage of food. So, you can provide them with hay. He is the grass that is cut and dried to store them and feed the domestic animals.

However, it also can be fed to the deer. But feeding deer with hay may not be a good idea. It is not that much nutrient-packed food for the deer.

Generally, the deer are known to be picky with their food, but sometimes when they are desperately in search of food and there is a shortage of food resources, they will eat anything that comes their way.

That is why you can simply follow the tips below to keep the deer away from hay: 

Plastic deer netting: 

Generally, it is a very efficient and convenient idea to use plastic deer netting to prevent the deer from getting inside of your haystack.

If you can spread a plastic net over the haystack, it will prevent the deer from eating them or damaging the haystack. 

Garden Netting, NIKIMORE Bird Netting Anti Bird Net Reusable Protective Garden Netting for Plants Fruit Trees Plastic Trellis Netting for Birds, Deer,Squirrels and Other Animals(13x40inch)

Fencing:

Fencing can be considered a good idea to keep deer away from the haystack. In addition to that, if you can provide 48 to 60 inches of high fence around the haystack, it will prevent the deer from crossing eat and eating the hay.

Garden Netting, 7 x 50 Feet Bird Netting for Garden, Heavy Duty Poultry Netting with 100 Ties, Garden Fence Netting to Protect Flowers Fruit Vegetables Trees Crops Away from Poultry Deer

Tarp cover:

Covering the haystack with tarps can be a great and effective idea to keep the deer away from the haystack. So, you can easily keep the deer away from the haystack by using the techniques very easily.

CAMPMAC 12'x16' Blue Tarps Heavy Duty Waterproof Plastic Poly 16 Mil Thick Tarpaulin Cover , with Metal Grommets Every 18 Inches , for Rain Shelter, Camping , Outdoor Cover and Pool Cover

Final Thoughts

Hay is a type of grass that is cut and stored after drying to feed the domestic animals. It does not contain many nutrients in it, so it is better to avoid feeding it to the deer. You can feed them when there is a shortage of food. Overfeeding of hay can cause serious health issues to the deer.