Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar Around the Farm

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The Apple Cider Vinegar craze is spreading like wildfire and rightfully so. Whether it is around the house, in the barn, or when it comes to farm animals themselves, there are benefits to be had from Apple Cider Vinegar all around. It can be purchased inexpensively in big box stores or grocers near you, making it an easily accessible and inexpensive purchase that no farm should be without. The type of Apple Cider Vinegar, or ACV, that is best for these uses is organic, raw, and unfiltered ACV which contains “The Mother.” It will have a cloudy appearance and some sediment at the bottom which is what makes it so special. This is the product of fermentation which continues for the life of the product.

There are many ways you can put ACV to work around the farm or even in your home. Here’s a list to get you started:

1. Pest control properties are important around the farm and ACV can help. If a bug bites you while you’re in the field tending to crops and gardens, wipe some ACV on the bite to stop the itching. If your stock is being pestered by biting flies, dilute some ACV in water (50/50 dillution) and pour into a spray bottle. Give animals a spritz to keep flies away.

2. Apple Cider Vinegar can also be added to drinking troughs at a ratio of about two tablespoons per gallon. There are many benefits associated with doing this. For starters, it aids in combatting illness due to the alkalizing effect it has on the body. This promotes good health by making the body an inhospitable environment in which illness cannot thrive. Adding ACV is another way to control biting insects as it works from the inside out to make animals unappetizing to biting insects. Doing this also deters internal parasites and worms. Do note that ACV cannot be added to metal waterers as it will damage metal, so use in plastic only.

3. ACV is rich in trace elements, vitamins, and minerals that the body (human and farm animals alike) need. When consumed regularly, Apple Cider Vinegar is able to adjust stomach pH to optimum levels. When this occurs, the digestion process is streamlined and made more efficient while being better able to fight off harmful bacteria which can lead to illness.

4. If skin conditions persist on farm animals, many of them can be helped or eradicated with ACV. Whether it is the farm dog that has fleas or a goat with mastitis, a rinse with diluted ACV and water (50/50) can help. Other maladies aided by such rinses are bot flies, ticks, allergies, and other general skin irritations. Though it has a strong odor, this will dissipate upon drying.

5. Apple Cider vinegar is an excellent addition to the lives of farm chickens. It is great for coop cleaning and disinfecting as a spray. ACV is also said to increase egg laying and help maintain general good health. Another benefit is that is helps with feather growth which is particularly useful around molting times. Since chickens do not lay eggs during a molt, using ACV to help with feather growth can possibly jumpstart egg production once again. The harvest from meat birds is also said to be tenderer in birds that have ACV in their diets.

With so many uses for Apple Cider Vinegar, there shouldn’t be a farm without some on hand at all times. If what it does for farm animals is not enough to sway you, keep in mind that human benefits include blood pressure reduction, easing arthritis pain, and calming heartburn just to name a few. When you factor in all the other products you would have to buy in order to do the same jobs this one product can, it makes good sense to opt instead for the one and done option. Big benefits can be had for a minimal investment, so grab yourself a bottle of Apple Cider Vinegar and see for yourself today!