Author Topic: Deer and soft fruit plants (Read 2082 times)

wayfarer · « **on:** March 05, 2018, 10:31:33 am »

I am creating a soft fruit area in our garden but we have a number of visiting roe and muntjac deer. I know I will need to cage the black and redcurrants to keep the birds off them but in the past I haven't had to cage autumn raspberries, blackberries or tayberries. Does anyone know whether the deer will graze the leaves as the birds haven't been interested in the past.

macgro7 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 05, 2018, 11:45:44 am »

They definitely will. My goats love brambles (raspberry and blackberry) in fact this is the first thing they go for. Deer are a bit similar to goats in their browsing habits

Dans · « **Reply #2 on:** March 05, 2018, 01:10:59 pm »

I'd assume so too. My Castlemilks love the blackberry and raspberry leaves and in autumn we actually worried about one of our ram lambs as he went all purple around the mouth, soon realised he was the reason the wild blackberry harvest was low!

Dans