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[11.01.2017]

Mine’s a Pint…cider that is!

Acorn Dairy director Graham Tweddle offers one of the organic herd a snifter of apple cider vinegar which is helping to boost their immune systems

DRY January will be leaving the herd unmoo-ved as they turn to the humble apple to fortify themselves against infection. Organic milkers at Acorn Dairy are thriving on a tipple of apple cider vinegar, a natural antiseptic and immune system booster. White blood cell counts – the established indicator of infections in livestock – have already plunged 20 per cent improving cows’ ability to fend off a host of ailments, including mastitis, foot injuries and aiding recovery in difficult calvings. Acorn Dairy director Graham Tweddle decided to introduce 90ml of apple cider vinegar per cow a day to the herd’s organic silage feed after attending a conference organised by the Organic Milk Supply Co-operative.

“An expert from America talked about how they use apple cider vinegar to treat organic cattle including as poultices on injuries. It contains acetic acid, which has an antiseptic affect.”

Acorn rears its 360 strong herd completely naturally on grass grown without chemical fertilisers and without using concentrated feeds and antibiotics. If antibiotics have to be used, then the cow has to be taken out of milking for six days until the drugs are out of its system. “Our cows can graze 24 hours a day on feed made from silage, beans and the apple cider vinegar,” said Graham. “We also demand less from our cows, who each produce 6,500 litres of milk a year compared to traditional levels of up to 10,000 litres.

“The cows love the addition of apple cider vinegar and we were delighted to see such a marked impact with a 20 per cent reduction to the white blood cell count. It must be the cider because that is the only thing we have changed.”

Article & pic by French & Lamming PR

You can have Acorn Dairy organic milk delivered directly to your business, school and doorstep customer in the local region- Yorkshire & the North East. Contact us for details.

T: 01325 466999

Caroline Bell