There are a lot of myths out there about what deer do and do not eat. One common question is: do deer eat alfalfa?
The answer is yes – deer love to eat alfalfa year-round. Deer are attracted to alfalfa because it’s highly digestible, packed with fiber, and tasty to them.
Considering that a single deer can eat several pounds of plants each day, you can see how deer eating alfalfa can really do some serious damage to your crop!
In this article, we’ll discuss how to stop deer from eating your alfalfa, and keep your field healthy and beautiful all season long.
Why Do Deer Eat Alfalfa?
As we covered, deer will eat as much alfalfa as possible when they’ve got the chance.
But why do they do this?
Deer like plants that are well-watered and fertilized, and alfalfa checks every box.
Alfalfa also contains a lot of digestible fiber which attracts deer.
Deer can do some serious damage to a large amount of alfalfa plants in a single sitting if they’re hungry enough!
This was confirmed in a 1999 study on deer plant eating habits by Cornell University.
Crops like alfafla contain water, sugar, protein, and nutrients, which makes them an ideal food source for deer.
And don’t think that your newer alfalfa fields are safe either: deer actually prefer new growth because they’re more tender.
Additionally, deer will consume a wide variety of foods like alfalfa based on opportunity.
In fact, people specifically choose to grow alfalfa for food plots to attract deer.
If you’re not convinced, leave some potted Gerberas out or plant some, and wait to see what happens!
How Do I Keep Deer From Eating My Alfalfa?
There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re protecting alfalfa from hungry deer: their habits, your scent, repellent options, and when you plant them.
Deer will eat nearly anything if they’re hungry enough, so your main goal is making your garden as least inviting to deer as possible.
Check out our guide on how to keep deer from eating plants where we cover 25 quick and easy tips for keeping hungry deer out of your garden.
Will My Alfalfa Grow Back After Deer Eat Them?
Fortunately, alfalfa is classified as a strong perennial, coming back at least 3-5 years after the initial seeding, so it can definitely stand up to deer damage.
If deer happen to munch down your alfalfa, continue regular care of your plants including watering and fertilizer as necessary until it’s back to good health.
Is Alfalfa Good For Deer?
Most grasses and hay are not good for deer because they’re not very digestible, but alfalfa is the single exception!
Feeding deer alfalfa provides them with the following vitamins and minerals:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin K
- Magnesium
- Copper
- Folate
- Iron
These vitamins and minerals provide deer with many benefits.
For example, vitamin C will help protect deer against scurvy and vitamin assists in deer immune system function.
Magnesium is great for antler growth, increasing body weight, and has immune system benefits for deer.
Fat-Soluble Vitamins For Deer
Vitamins A, D, E, K, and calcium are fat-soluble, so they can be stored in the deer’s fat and liver to be used later as needed.
This means that vitamin K content from deer eating alfalfa can be “stored up” for later use, which is highly beneficial.
Water-Soluble Vitamins For Deer
Vitamin C, B Vitamins, niacin, folic acid, and potassium are all water-soluble, which means they cannot be stored, so they must be replaced continually.
So a deer that eats alfalfa for the vitamin C or potassium content must continue to consume foods that contain these necessary vitamins to stay healthy.
Not to mention, alfalfa contains 1g of protein and 1g of carbs from fiber, all which are beneficial to deer.
Using Alfalfa On Deer Food Plots
You can plant alfalfa purposely to attract deer as part of a food plot and will almost certainly see success in this strategy!
Also, deer will eat alfalfa pellets, cubes, and hay bales, so they’re not very picky.
Ideally the deer in your area will already be used to having alfalfa in their diet.
If not, hold off on introducing a high-protein food like alfalfa hay because it can interrupt their normal food search patterns and make them completely reliant on that alfalfa hay as their new winter food source.
Also, overfeeding deer alfalfa hay can cause bloating, so use it sparingly.
Do Deer Eat Alfalfa? Wrapping Things Up
So, do deer eat alfalfa?
The answer is yes, whenever they can!
Deer will eat all the alfalfa they can get, especially during spring when they’re hungry after a long winter and the alfalfa is the most tender.
Have any observations to add to the discussion? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.
Check our our other helpful wildlife guides while you’re here:
