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Garlic (opens in new tab) and apple cider vinegar (opens in new tab) are added to a pigeon’s diet by some keepers for the nutritional and medicinal benefits they attribute to both, although research in pigeons is limited.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Humans have been enjoying the properties of garlic and apple cider vinegar for thousands of years. Fermentation to produce vinegar is one of the oldest food processes known to man.
Vinegar has been made from wine and other fermented drinks for thousands of years, and vinegars made from fermented apples followed later.
Ancient Romans and Greeks adopted the process and throughout history, the use of apple cider vinegar is well documented. It is said to have been used in the treatment of battlefield wounds in the American Civil War and World War I.
It has been used as a disinfectant and cleaning product and also to treat all kinds of ailments from dandruff to mushroom poisoning. It is said that Japanese Samurai used to drink it for power and strength.
These days, many extol the virtue of starting the day with a glass of diluted apple cider vinegar (opens in new tab).
Apple cider vinegar has shown anti-microbial effects in laboratory studies, and anti-inflammatory effects are often claimed.
Garlic
Believed to have originated in Central Asia, garlic has been used by humans for more than 5,000 years as food, medicine, money, an aphrodisiac, and as a magic charm to ward off evil.
A pungent bulb, a member of the allium family (which includes onions, leeks, etc. and was once classed within the lily family), garlic is one of the world’s oldest cultivated plants and is, botanically speaking, a herb.
Highly valued by the Ancient Egyptians (workers building the pyramids are said to have received garlic as part of their rations), clay garlic bulbs were often included in burial tombs.
Other civilizations may have revered garlic, but it was also avoided.
Upper classes in Ancient India associated it with commoners, King Alfonso XI of Castile (Spain) is said to have barred knights who had eaten garlic from his court, and until the 1940s it was spurned by many Americans who thought of it as an ethnic ingredient.
As well as a flavoring, garlic is said to be an aphrodisiac as well as a cure for heart disease, impotence, poisonous insect bites, and lack of energy; garlic is healthy (opens in new tab)!
It is the sulfur compounds in garlic, such as allicin, that give it its medicinal properties.
While these two natural ingredients have been used in human wellness for a very long time, the application for bird species has been far less explored!
However, some vets and many pigeon keepers have suggested that apple cider vinegar is good for racing pigeons (opens in new tab) and garlic is beneficial for many types of pigeons.
Combining Apple Cider Vinegar and Garlic?
We know that apple cider vinegar and garlic are two separate entities, both consumable ingredients that have long been associated with promoting health and wellness in humans.
What you might not be so familiar with, however, is the notion of combining the two, and even less familiar is the notion of giving that mixture to a pigeon!
Keepers attribute a range of health benefits to the combination, although there is little research in pigeons.
How Do You Give a Pigeon Apple Cider Vinegar and Garlic?
It is easy to introduce an apple cider vinegar and garlic mixture to your pigeon’s diet. When you purchase the liquid, it will often come in a large, bulky bottle.
We recommend you decant a smaller portion into a mister bottle and use this to spray a sensible amount of the apple cider vinegar and garlic mix onto your pigeons’ seed mix for the day.
The pigeons won’t think twice and will dive into their bird feeders as usual, and as they eat, they will also be ingesting the apple cider vinegar and garlic extract that coated their food.
Do not add the ACV/garlic mix to feed every day. On average, a good schedule is about twice a week at even intervals.
Alternatively, you can add about 15ml of the liquid solution into a litre’s worth of drinking water.
This is the ideal ratio regarding the balance of health and taste, but if you find that you are having trouble with a particularly picky bird who doesn’t like the slight taste in its drinking water, then it is best to stick to the food spritz option!
What Are the Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar and Garlic?
There is a whole range of health benefits attributed to apple cider vinegar and garlic, both individually and in combination.
Many keepers believe that combining them brings together their anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, disinfectant and antioxidant properties.
The main health benefits for pigeons are:
- Parasite Control – A couple of weekly doses of apple cider vinegar/garlic in your pigeon’s seeds are often used to help keep internal parasites at bay. If your birds are allowed to fly outside, then you never know what kind of things they might be picking up and eating along the way. Keepers use apple cider vinegar in the hope of flushing out anything sinister that might be thinking about making camp in your pigeon’s body. Garlic is a prebiotic (opens in new tab) that aids good gut health by encouraging good gut bacteria.
- Strengthened Immune System – Alongside the specific benefit of fighting against parasites, the apple cider vinegar/garlic combo is also believed to help support your pigeon’s immune system. The stronger they are and the healthier they are, the lesser the chances are of developing or catching common pigeon diseases.
- Improved Digestion – The chemical makeup of apple cider vinegar and garlic together may help to improve the digestion of a pigeon. The solution may help to prevent different kinds of digestive disorders that might be caused by food not being digested properly. Some keepers also use it as a supportive measure for sour crop.
- Blood Circulation – Apple cider vinegar is also claimed to help improve the blood circulation of many birds, which in turn leads to a healthier overall body, increased energy and longer life. Garlic is said to aid blood circulation due to it stimulating the production of nitric oxide which helps muscles to relax and blood vessels to dilate. A human study has reported that garlic extract reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in hypertensive people although this has not been shown in pigeons.
- Nutritional Value – The combination of apple cider vinegar and pure garlic extract contains vitamins, minerals and trace elements that may help support the health and strength of your pigeon. Antioxidants in both ingredients fight free radicals that cause problems that range from minor ailments to accelerated ageing.
Even if you are rather skeptical, feeding a proprietary mix of apple cider vinegar and garlic to your pigeons in sensible amounts is unlikely to harm healthy birds, but it is not a substitute for veterinary treatment.
This guide is general information. If a bird is injured or seriously ill, contact an avian vet or a wildlife rescue as soon as you can.
Sources:
- Anticoccidial effect of apple cider vinegar on broiler chicken: an organic treatment to measure anti-oxidant effect (opens in new tab)
- The antitrichomonal efficacy of garlic and metronidazole against Trichomonas gallinae infecting domestic pigeons (opens in new tab)
Last updated 31 October 2026 · Health