The beets (also known as fodder beets or mangel-wurzel) were once grown extensively as livestock feed. However, usage dwindled over the last century as big farms using mechanized production techniques replaced family farms.

Mangels are highly nutritious, easy to produce, can grow to immense sizes (up to 20 pounds), and store well; making them a good substitute for fresh greens in winter. Chickens love them, and they can be hung in the coop to provide both food and a wintertime pecking distraction.