The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Growing => Vegetables => Topic started by: chrismahon on May 30, 2012, 09:01:54 pm

Title: Mangelwerzels
Post by: chrismahon on May 30, 2012, 09:01:54 pm: Watched the Victoria Farmer last night. Fantastic programme. They harvested Mangelwerzels to feed the pigs over Winter. Kept them in a straw 'clamp' outside to protect from frost. Then they ground them up before feeding. Apparently they are full of vitamins and extremely good for livestock, rather than paying for bags of feed. Can you still buy seeds anywhere and has anyone else used them? Is there an alternative crop?
Title: Re: Mangelwerzels
Post by: deepinthewoods on May 30, 2012, 09:48:21 pm: mangel beet seeds here,if the quantitys are too high you cold break the packets down and sell them on ebay..
http://www.churchofbures.co.uk/ (http://www.churchofbures.co.uk/)
Title: Re: Mangelwerzels
Post by: benkt on May 30, 2012, 10:12:51 pm: We plant a smallish patch, maybe tenth of an acre with fodder beet which is pretty similar each year for feeding to the pigs. We're just now coming to the end of last year's crop, the seeds are expensive as you have to buy by the acre but £60 for seeds saves us nearly £300 on pig food so its a good deal in the end. We feed about 1:9 ratio of fodder beet to pig nuts for the sows and about the same to the weaners once they are three months old. Chickens like them too. Pound for pound and taking minimal effort they are probably the best crop we grow!
Title: Re: Mangelwerzels
Post by: Eastling on May 30, 2012, 10:13:16 pm: Just found this http://www.suffolkherbs.com/kolist/1/VEGETABLES/V-M/MANGEL/0/V228.htm (http://www.suffolkherbs.com/kolist/1/VEGETABLES/V-M/MANGEL/0/V228.htm)
Title: Re: Mangelwerzels
Post by: Dan on May 30, 2012, 10:25:23 pm: We grew them years ago for our highland pony but he didn't take a liking to them! They were easy to grow and produced a decent crop, so well worth considering if you've got the spare ground.
Title: Re: Mangelwerzels
Post by: Rosemary on May 30, 2012, 10:26:59 pm: Quote from: Dan on May 30, 2012, 10:25:23 pm
We grew them years ago for our highland pony but he didn't take a liking to them! They were easy to grow and produced a decent crop, so well worth considering if you've got the spare ground.

Can you believe we found something Smokey won't eat? :horse:
Title: Re: Mangelwerzels
Post by: little blue on May 30, 2012, 11:48:33 pm: A lovely TASer (who's name escape me at this time of night!) split a bag of Fodder beet seeds last year with several of us.

they are loved by our pigs, the goats & chickens eat the spinachy leaves & I even chopped and cooked a fair few for us too!

I'm sure if you wanted to share a bag, a post in the marketplace/swapsshop would find them a home.... :)
Title: Re: Mangelwerzels
Post by: chrismahon on June 02, 2012, 07:07:41 pm: Thanks for the links. Looks like they are worth doing, together with swedes and beet. I know a Boron deficiency in the soil causes swedes to split, so I will take a bag of Vitax Q with me.
Title: Re: Mangelwerzels
Post by: Lesley Silvester on June 04, 2012, 12:16:47 am: My girls love fodder beet but it's too hard for me to chop up. I tried growing mangelwurzelsm but they didn't take for some reason.
Title: Re: Mangelwerzels
Post by: Mel Rice on June 04, 2012, 10:33:48 am: Over here they sell a few different carieties of fodder beets. one pack does me two years. A couple of euros a pack. I grow mine mainly for my bunnies. I store them in the cellar and bring them up a few at a time. they even cut frozen. Horse is not keen so he gets bought in sugar beet as an extra in winter, but thje he IS spoiled.
Title: Re: Mangelwerzels
Post by: knight_family on June 24, 2012, 08:50:42 pm: some people every year sell some seeds on here. IT worth keep an eye out I know I'll be planning on it next spring.