Someone told me this fact and I'm not sure to believe it.
Does it mean that they can eat hay but cannot digest it or what?
Why can't they?
Why can cows, horses, guinea pigs etc eat it but not deer?
2006-09-05 21:22:34 · 12 answers · asked by bearos3000 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Deer will readily eat hay if nothing else is available to them but they will starve to death after awhile if they can't eat their 'native' feed. hay just does not have what deer need to sustain them and their digestive systems are designed for more 'green' types of feed...even alfalfa is better for them than hay. Many people put hay out in the winter for deer which can help sustain them or supplement their diets but they cant survive indefinitely on it.
2006-09-05 21:27:46 · answer #1 · answered by dusty_roade 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Deer can eat Hay! Folks feed deer with hay in harsh winters. But hay is not always hay!
There are different kinds. For example the most common kinds traded are: Coastal, Alfa Alfa and Timothey.
Alfa Alfa is the hay Deer can't eat (should not eat) Alfa Alfa is a not really a gras but a Legume (Clover) and is a high energy food. It also leads to bloading and makes animals like : Horses, Guniea Pigs and Deer sick. Only cows are able to eat and digest Alfa Alfa and it is raised for the Dairy industry. Costal hay or timothey which is grass hay is perfectly fine for Deer, Horses etc.
While Hay is not a prime food source for Deer since it does not occur naturally it can provide sustenance.
2006-09-05 21:31:16 · answer #2 · answered by Scott or Martin S 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Deer eat hay. Deer eat grass. Deer eat alfalfa. Deer eat all kinds of things. Pure BS that there is detriment to deer eating forages.
2015-02-13 02:28:40 · answer #3 · answered by Hushyanoize 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes they can,but as others have said even grass hay is not their normal diet. Deer are more closly related to goats than they are to cows and they normally eat the leaves and small twigs of bushes. Deer do not chew their cud as cows do so less nutrition is gained by the same diet. A Diet of Alfalfa hay is not good for horses and deer as they have fewer stomachs to digest this legume type food. Cows have 4 and deer and horses have only two. I have no knowlege of the rats folks call guinea pigs.
2006-09-05 21:44:48 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I haven't seen a deer eating hay but it should be possible.
2006-09-05 21:25:02 · answer #5 · answered by Rudebox77 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I saw Deer eating Hay yesterday at the Safari Park. Maybe a certain type can't...I saw Reindeer eating it.
2006-09-05 21:26:22 · answer #6 · answered by Gypsie 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hay is dry grass and deer eat grass all the time. In winter, they dig under the snow to find things to eat, and the grass is dry, so it's technically hay!
How they feel about alfalfa, I don't know.
2006-09-06 00:17:13 · answer #7 · answered by anna 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, they will eat hay, and especially enjoy alfalfa. Back when feeding was legal here, we sold quite a few bales to people wanting to feed deer every year. For bagged feed, check out any feed mill, co-op, grain elevator, etc. They will have bagged corn and soymeal on hand, and can usually bag any grain they have on hand. Often they will have other small grains available either bagged or they can bag it for you. Remember to check your state and local laws, as many areas have either banned or restricted deer feeding and baiting.
2016-03-17 01:38:42 · answer #8 · answered by Beth 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
" If deer are fed the wrong foods, they can starve to death even while they're being fed (it's difficult to obtain food that will actually sustain deer.) For instance, deer will readily eat hay but can starve to death if that's the only feed they have."
2006-09-05 21:27:12 · answer #9 · answered by Shivster 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No deer can not eat hay it could kill them as they cant digest it.
2006-09-05 21:29:00 · answer #10 · answered by mentalboy1 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋