mangelworzels as winter fodder

[trampledbygeese]

Back in the day in England, they use to feed Mangelworzles to sheep as winter fodder. It's like a giant chard root, the roots keeps wonderfully well over winter (so long as it doesn't freeze) in a clamp. They use to get a couple out and chop it up for the livestock, everything from cattle to pigs, especially sheep. The leaves make a great late summer and fall snack.

This year we are growing some to see if it's still a viable fodder for sheep. Why not, eh?

Has anyone here used mangelworzels as a feed for sheep before?

Do you know any references where I can see the nutritional value of this funny looking veg? I know it's high in Vit C and iron, as well as several other trace minerals. Would love to learn more.

 

[Sheepshape]

Hi,well in Blighty we call them just 'beets' or 'fodder beets'.They are high in sugar and potassium and basically provide carbohydrate to the sheep (or other livestock). they are widely used locally and are just tossed whole into the field...the sheep soon start biting into them.

We have used them along with silage for winter feed and in addition to ewe rolls for the last 6 weeks of pregnancy. Sheep love them.

Apparently they are good for humans to eat when young and can be made into a very tasty vegetable wine.....so there's a few other uses for your mangolds/'wurzels/'mangelwurzels/fodderbeets/mangel beets.'

 

[trampledbygeese]

That's great information. Thank you.

I don't feel so bad about ploughing up a big portion of the back yard to plant them now.

 

[Bossroo]

I have never heard of that term before. However, if you are referring to sugar beets ( in Cal. there thousands of acres grown ,basicaly they are processed for sugar then the beet pulp is incorporated in many animal rations and are called sweet feed) then yes, they are a great feed for livestock.

 

[trampledbygeese]

I think the Mangledwurzels are like an ancestor of the sugar beet. In medieval and 19thC literature they are referred to as distinctly separate plants. But names change over the years, and the genetic diversity of our crops these days is considerably smaller... so perhaps mangelworzels and sugar beets are the same thing now.

I imagine they are quite similar nutritionally speaking. I'll have a gander at what sugar beets contain. Thanks for the idea.

 

[Sheepshape]

Sugar beets and fodder/mangel beets/worzels are from the same (closely related) family.....as are beetroots.'Scientifically.sugar beet is Beta vulgaris subsp.var altissima, worzels Beta vulgaris var. vulgaris (and convar. flavescens).....what the heck?....very similar,anyway!

 

[trampledbygeese]

Thanks @Sheepshape That's good to know.

I was thinking about sugar beets last night and wondering if mangelworzels have been 'altered' by the larger agricultural corps. yet. I'm not a huge fan of transgenic foods, though I understand why a lot of people think they are necessary. I've heard it said that most sugar beets in North America are now GM. I got a couple of heritage mangle varieties, but I haven't been able to find out if they are breed through selection or gene splicing.

 

[Sheepshape]

Very little GM stuff over here....we're a bit slow on accepting new technology....and with regards to GM technology, then never is soon enough for me.

Just realised that my computer changed vulgaris to vulgarise (technology again!) in my earlier post (I've since changed it back). I think that any beet which is of the variety ' vulgaris vulgaris' is likely to be pretty primitive and unmodified!