# Apple Cider Vinegar



## JamieH (Nov 29, 2010)

Back in the old days, (10 or 12 years ago) I was told that putting apple cider vinegar in my goat's water would help her "throw does." Now I'm not saying I think this is true, I understand that gender is determined by chromosomes. I was just wondering if it is even safe to feed this to goats or if there are any benefits to feeding it.


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## pjt367 (Apr 3, 2010)

I don't know if that rumor is true. But when I bought a buck this year, the owner puts Apple Cider Vinegar in all of their goat's water. I also read that having goats used to apple cider vinegar in their water makes them more likely to drink unknown water if you ever have to take them somewhere (and in the summer our water takes on an algae taste). I know that it is very beneficial for humans. So I have been putting a little in my goat's water a couple of times a week.

But I'm a newbie so I'm adding here to get more experienced feedback.


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## JamieH (Nov 29, 2010)

I've heard of putting peppermint in horses' water to get them to drink unknown water too. Does your buck like the taste of it?


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2007)

There's certainly no harm in adding it and it has a lot of healthful properties (at least the good raw stuff does).


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## Kelly (Jan 20, 2011)

I use Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar 'with the Mother' because it is not overly processed.

My goats will drink it but i do not use it every day. Maybe you'd benefit from reading from this site. Check it out. It's interesting.

http://www.naturalark.com/natacv.html


Hope this helps.


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## J-Basqo (Oct 26, 2007)

ACV does have many things that can be good for humans and goats alike. It can be a bacteria inhibitor, so good for infections. Also digestive, urinary and muscular health (detoxifying affects). Infact I use white vinegar as my udder wash as it is a cleanser, but gentler on the udder then chemicals. I have also known those that encourage ACV use in immune health for humans. So it is NOT going to hurt anything at all! I have read of breeders using it to help keep algae from growing in troughs as well and I would like to try using this summer for that reason.
You are correct, sex of an individual is determined by chromosomes. That said, a male sperm has a shorter life and is smaller and faster moving than a female sperm, a female sperm is longer lived, but larger and slower moving. The PH balance of seminal fluid is what supports the life of the sperm. If the PH balance is compromised, the FEMALE sperm would be the LONGER to live in that environment. My point in all this being that I would suppose the ACV wives tale might be an attempt to upset the PH balance in the bucks reproduction, giving you more female sperm surviving. However, I dont think there is any scientific evidence that taking ACV internally will affect anything of the sort. Your goats may still benifit from adding ACV to the water. :biggrin


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## pjt367 (Apr 3, 2010)

Thanks for all the information. I will keep using it for sure. My buck was already used to it. My does sniffed it and walked away but came back before too long and now they don't have any reaction whether it is in the water or not. I have also been putting it in my dog's water when I treat the goat's water.

I like the idea of using vinegar for my udder wash instead of bleach. How much do you use and how do you mix it? What do you use for your teat dip afterwards?


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## JamieH (Nov 29, 2010)

Thanks for all the info!


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## J-Basqo (Oct 26, 2007)

I dont currently use a post teat dip, but dont recommend NOT doing one. It is just purely how I do it and dont want someone to run into issues because I dont do it. I am only milking 2 currently, so what I do is fill a 32oz yogurt tub 1/2-3/4 with hot water and add about a tablespoon of white vinegar (I figure I feel comfortable sanitizing my bathroom with it, why not clean an udder?). I take out 3-4 wash rags with me, wet the first rag, wash the first udder and put that rag in the dirty pile (I dont double dip). Dry with a clean rag, wet that rag in the wash, wash the next udder and dry with yet another clean rag. Then I have a spare rag if some one needs a double washing. However, some may not recommend using the drying rag from the previous goat as the washing rag on the next. That is just what I have done for economics. If someone has an udder issue they are washed and milked last and their rag never touches another udder! You can get as picky with it as you want, it never hurts to be careful!!!
As of this year I have only ever had 1 case of mastitis in one of my does, and it was due to a teat injury and not my cleaning regimen. In my opinion Udder health is determined quite a bit by the whole health of the animal and the cleanliness of the stall rather than what the udder is or is not cleaned with. My purpose for udder washing is more to sterilize the udder so I am not contaminating milk I am drinking, than for mastitis prevention (in fact if I am not saving the milk, I dont wash udders unless they were laying in poop or something and are nasty). 
So that is my 2 scents on udder washing, take it as a grain of salt!! Everyone has there own routine and reasons. Do your research, then do what is best for you and your goats!!


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

First know it would take a LOT of vinegar to change the PH in a does vagina or in a bucks bladder to either help the male sperm swim faster than the female sperm to get more doelings or to keep UC at bay. It's pretty flawed science. Goat are ruminants, what you will find is that very little single stomached info is very valid in our goats management. It certainly doesn't hurt anything to add vinegar to the water, I do it all summer to keep the green down, we are on a well and emptying 6 twenty five gallon waterers to scrub out some green every other day isn't happening.


Teat dip is about closing the orifice or having something disenfecting in the orifice as it closes. Kids saliva is acidic so does a good job of keeping the orifice clean and naturally closing. If you aren't rushing through milking chores and your does have enough time on the milkstand after being milked that the orifice closes naturally....if you aren't immediatly putting does down off the milkstand into dirty pens or muddy barns, than not teat dipping after milking isn't a consideration and you can teat dip and clean udders with pickel juice  If you have problems with mastitis in your herd than you likely need a prewash and post dip. I don't have a reason to move to iodine this or that, but I would if I did need to. I have used 1/4 cup clorox to 1 gallon of water as a post spray to saturation with an up sprayer for years...I also prewash (and the goats are always dairy shaved) with the cheapo walmart, pop out of the top, wet ones that I add about 1/2 cup of alcohol to....I mostly machine milk and clean inflations between does, just like when we hand milked I washed my hands between does. V


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## dragonlair (Mar 24, 2009)

They suggest a female human douche with vinegar to change the acidity of the reproductive tract to get a girl, so maybe if you douched your doe it might maybe work. I know it didn't work for me, I have 4 sons.

I use ACV for the horses and goats in the warmer months to keep algae form growing. It also seems to help kill off the mosquito larvae that develop in water, thus saving me from dumping water every day or so. The mosquito dunks work great and are safe for animals, but are expensive. ACV is actually a cheap way to keep things clean. My goats, chooks and horses love it. The dogs not so much.

BTW.....my mares and stallion all had ACV in their drinking water during breeding season (warmer months) and I always seemed to get colts! By the time goat breeding comes around at my place (Oct), I have mostly stopped using ACV and until this year I always had more does than bucks. I have a new buck this year, so don't know what he will throw.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

I used apple cider vinegar in 2007 and spring 2008 I got 6 doe kids and 4 buck kids. The next year I forgot about the ACV and got all girls. (Three out of three kids) Last year I used acv a little and got 5 doelings and 3 bucklings. So I would have to say it doesn't matter much here. I had a hen hatch out ten chicks, eight girls, only two boys, no acv. 
I am probably due for a boy year...


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