[Goldfinger]

Is apple cider vinegar and cider vinegar both the same stuff??

I'm asking because it's recommended to add it to chooks drinking water to help with thier digestion...

What about garlic? Raw, crushed, dried/powdered? Which to use??

[barbarella]

Can't help on the cider - I didn't know about that so I would be interested in the answer. 

As for garlic, we use garlic powder.  By far the cheapest way is to buy it from a tack shop or agricultural merchant in kilo tubs or similar.  It is added to horses food - I think one of the reasons is it is meant to deter flies which can smell it on the horses.  I don't know if there is any other reason, but we give it to our chooks to sweeten the smell of their poo and deter flies.  I think it works, because we ran out recently and there did seem to be more of those pesky little flies around the coop. 

[Casey76]

You need to use unpasturised ACV with the "mother" still in it - not the stuff you get at the supermarket.

As for garlic, well, garlic is a powerful antibiotic and can upset the internal flora of the gut.  there is also strong anecdotal evidence that is also causes anaemia in horses.

Personally I would never feed garlic as a day-to-day supplement to my horse or to my hens.

[cluckingnuts]

Cider is made from apples. The 'mother' is a natural yeast on the skins. I do use garlic occasionally + sparingly.

[Sassy]

you should be able to get the unpasteurised ACV at horse feed shops

NB don't use it in galvanised containers!

[Goldfinger]

Thanks all and everyone for the replies.

Learn't something new again then.......

Thanks again

GF