Better Hens and Gardens

Giant Yellow Eckendorf

This year, we’re adding a new vegetable mainstay to the garden – not for us, but for the chickens.  Mangel beets used to be grown extensively as a livestock feed on small farms; however, usage dwindled in the US as large farms became the norm.  Today, it’s being rediscovered on small farmsteads as a great feed for livestock, particularly chickens. 

The beets are highly nutritious and have been cultivated as livestock feed for over 1000 years.  They’re very easy to produce, grow to immense sizes (10 – 20 lbs.), and store well; making them a good stand-in for fresh [...]

Continue reading Growing Mangel Beets for Chickens