# Mangles



## CluckyJay (Jul 22, 2011)

I am trying to figure out how much of them I can feed the dairy goats, daily. I want to plant mangles "fodder beets" and need to know how many I should set out. I am right about to close a deal on a pregnant mini-mancha and her young doeling. 

Any help is appreciated!


----------



## freemotion (Jul 22, 2011)

It depends on your goat.  When I feed veggies I start with a smallish amount....more when their systems are used to fresh stuff and less in winter when fresh stuff is scarce.  Increase the amount about every third day and watch the poo.  If it starts to look clumpy, back off for a few days, then see if you can inch it up a bit again.

I get my does up to about....um.....3 quarts a day each of chopped pumpkins and squashes in the fall/winter when I get them free from the farm next door.  Some get less.  Depends on the doe.  I start with maybe a cup per feeding in the winter and two cups per feeding in the summer.  I have full sized mixed dairy goats.

There is a good article on feeding mangels in the online Sheep Journal.


----------



## CluckyJay (Jul 22, 2011)

I am almost positive I have that article loaded in one of my tabs, LOL.

I'll just add tiny amounts like you said. If their doodies seem good, I'll increase the amounts. Thanks! 
What about gourds? I have some birdhouse gourds (I guess they are anyway).


----------



## freemotion (Jul 22, 2011)

Not sure....many gourds are edible, some are not.  Birdhouse gourds can be dried and sold to artists for far more than their food value to the goats, though!  I let 'em get moldy for the lovely patterns it makes, then scrub them in hot soapy water with a metal pot scrubber thingywhatsit.  If an artist likes very tan, smooth-colored gourds, you can wipe them down with bleach water every so often to prevent the mold.

I tried two years in a row to grow mangels and failed.  Wish I'd tried again this year as my garden is in a new spot and it doing fantastic!  Oh, well, next year!


----------



## CluckyJay (Jul 22, 2011)

As soon as I buy the goats this weekend I am taking my next paycheck and getting mangle seeds. They might cost more to buy next season so I wanna stock up now. I have lots of glass to build large cold frames for winter growing, maybe I can start a goodly amount now and then just grow them out in two cold frames. Who knows--a pound of mangle seed is a lot to play around with! LOL

Ohh I pray we can raise our new babies right and cheap, LOL.


----------



## freemotion (Jul 22, 2011)

A POUND????  You planning on planting acreage???


----------



## CluckyJay (Jul 22, 2011)

Well. Maybe not acreage but I can get a pound shipped for just over 20.00. That is better than several dollars for a packet. I'm reallllllly cheap and like to get a lot for my money, LOL. I was also going to render as much of it as I can to feed my soldier flies and other maggot-y babies. Maybe a tilapia or two as well! Oh man, now I am thinking about tilapia rearing again.  LOL 

So many projects, so little money!!! LOL


----------



## CluckyJay (Jul 22, 2011)

The growing instructions said that 1/4 pound will plant 1,000 square feet. I was planning on growing a livestock garden at least that size. Guess now I need to make it a little bigger, LOL.


----------



## SuburbanFarmChic (Jul 22, 2011)

We ordered a pound and it was much cheaper. But I split it with other people.  My mangles are doing quite well so far. I've been harvesting lots of greens for everybody and us too.


----------



## freemotion (Jul 22, 2011)

They do keep...they will sprout after at least two years, maybe more.


----------

