Do Deer Eat Cabbage? (Read This First)

There are a lot of myths out there about what deer do and do not eat. One common question is: do deer eat cabbage?

Yes, cabbage is one of the top favorite foods that deer love to eat. Deer love leafy greens that have high water content, and cabbage checks every box for them.

There’s a bit more to learn about deer eating cabbage which we’ll cover in today’s guide. Read on for more info.

Why Do Deer Eat Cabbage?

As we covered, deer will eat cabbage when they’ve got the chance.

But why do they do this?

Well, for one, deer are browsing animals, meaning they’ll eat almost anything they come across if they’re hungry enough.

They love leafy greens that are well-watered and fertilized, which makes cabbage a prime target for deer.

Your cabbage is most susceptible to deer when there are fewer other food choices around for them, and especially when the plants are young and the plants are tender.

Additionally, deer will consume a wide variety of foods like cabbage based on opportunity.

Check out this video of a deer chomping on cabbage in a plain view of people:

If you’re not convinced, leave some cabbage out for deer to eat (or plant some), and wait to see what happens!

Are Cabbage Deer Resistant?

No, cabbage is not deer resistant at all.

In fact, deer are attracted to cabbage because of the leafy greens, high water content, and easy availability.

Do Deer Eat Ornamental Cabbage?

We’ll have homeowners, farmers, and gardeners ask: do deer eat ornamental cabbage or if they’ll eat another specific type of cabbage they have on their property.

The short answer is, yes, deer will eat all types of cabbage including green, Danish, domestic, pointed, cannonball, Gonzales, Savoy, red, white (Dutch), Parel, Napa, Chinese, Tuscan, January King, and Portuguese cabbage.

How Do I Keep Deer From Eating My Cabbage?

There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re protecting cabbage 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 Cabbage Grow Back After Deer Eat Them?

So a hungry deer snuck in your garden and had a feast on your cabbage. Will they grow back?

Cabbage can handle some damage from deer, provided that it’s still got 1-2” left from the base of the plant.

Try to trim off any damaged leaves using scissors or a sharp knife.

Continue to care for your cabbage including regular watering and fertilization until they’re back to good health.

If your cabbage plants don’t bounce back after a few weeks, you’ll need to remove them and start new plants.

Is Cabbage Good For Deer To Eat?

Cabbage contains highly digestible fiber, water, and a bit of carbs and protein, so it attracts deer easily.

Feeding deer cabbage provides them with the following vitamins and minerals:

Vitamins C and K
Folate
Manganese
Calcium
Potassium
Magnesium

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.

Deer need calcium for bone, teeth, and antler growth and health as well as other bodily functions like milk production and metabolism.

Potassium is great for deer because it helps maintain good pH balance and aid in proper digestion.

Magnesium is great for antler growth, increasing body weight, and has immune system benefits for deer.

Manganese assists deer in growth, respiration, and reproduction.

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 A content from deer eating cabbage 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 cabbage for the vitamin C content must continue to consume foods that contain these necessary vitamins to stay healthy.

Can I Feed Cabbage To Deer?

Feeding deer foods like cabbage occasionally is fine, as it is viewed as a rare treat and the deer will really enjoy it!

Feeding wild deer cabbage regularly poses a few problems, however.

Here’s why you shouldn’t feed cabbage to deer often.

Deer Need To Rely On Nature For Food

If you feed deer continuously, they may start relying on that food source, which will cause them to stop foraging in nature for foods that they need to survive.

Natural Foods Are Naturally Better For Deer

Feeding deer foods like cabbage can alter their diet significantly, depending on what you’re feeding them, increasing the chance of malnourishment.

Deer Should Have A Healthy Fear Of Humans

Second, it reduces a deer’s natural fear of humans, which can shorten their lifespan or put them in danger.

You May Attract Other (Unwanted) Wildlife

Putting extra food out for deer can also attract predators like coyotes, wolves, or mountain lions to the area, which put the deer (and potentially you) at risk.

You Can Increase The Transmission Of Diseases

If you have lots of deer in your area, think twice about putting out food continuously for them.

If you bring deer together at the same feeding site, it can increase their risk of contracting chronic wasting disease or other communicable diseases from each other.

How To Feed Deer Cabbage

Most gardeners and veggie growers want to keep deer away from their cabbage.

If you have extra cabbage or are looking to see if you can feed cabbage to deer in your backyard, this next part is for you.

There are a few things to keep in mind when feeding deer cabbage: the size of the portion and your scent.

Make sure to place the cabbage on the ground where they’re visible and can be easily reached by deer.

If you’ve got a winter food plot with cabbage growing in it, the deer will eat them right out of the ground.

If deer are not normally around your area in winter, don’t feed them leading up to winter as they will not migrate where and when they should.

This will lead to the deer relying on you as their food source and can result in starvation.

Should I Cut Up Cabbage For Deer To Eat?

Deer are used to eating leafy greens like cabbage and the plant is also very tender, so you do not need to cut up or shred cabbage when feeding it to deer.

Don’t Leave Your Scent On Deer Food

Deer have a keen sense of smell that allows them to smell human scent farther than bloodhounds can, and can smell up to six different scents at once.

Deer won’t eat food like cabbage if they have a strong human scent on them, so you should take care to minimize your trace.

You can do this by rinsing the cabbage and also washing your hands with antimicrobial soap.

Alternatively, you can put a few drops of apple cider vinegar on your hands when handling food you’ll be giving to the deer.

Another easy option is to use gloves when handling cabbage for deer to eat.

Consider The Amount Of Deer You’re Feeding

If you have lots of deer in your area, think twice about putting out food continuously for them.

If you bring deer together at the same feeding site, it can increase their risk of contracting chronic wasting disease or other communicable diseases from each other.

Do Deer Eat Cabbage? Wrapping Things Up

So, do deer eat cabbage?

The answer is yes!

Deer absolutely love cabbage and will eat as much cabbage as possible whenever they get the chance.

Deer will eat all varieties of cabbage.

Fortunately there are many methods you can use and combine to keep deer away from your cabbage if you need to.

Try a few and see what works best for you.

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: