# Home Made Electrolytes



## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I thought I would post this in its own thread since we have needed it so often...I found this recipe on the homesteadtoday forum who found it on the MO Ozarks Goat Group who most likley got it from some where else lol..but this is a good mix, goats tend to love it and it encourages more fluid intake, has a nice balance and is cheaper to make the buying electros from the feed store...

Homemade Electrolytes

A half gallon of hot water
2-6 Tablespoons of Unsulphured Blackstrap Molasses
1-2 Tablespoons of Either Sea Salt, Epsom Salt, Baking Soda or Table Salt.
1 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar


Mix well and drench or let them drink it. Most of mine love this stuff unlike the electrolytes you buy..


When I looked on the back of the electrolytes bag at ingredients the main ingredients were Sugars, Sodium/salts and Potassium along with vitamin and minerals..


Molasses is a sugar with Vitamins and Minerals


Of course the salts are hopefully self explanatory..


Apple Cider Vinegar contains potassium..


This is much cheaper than those tiny bags of electrolytes and usually you have these ingredients on hand. ** Note....although backstrap molasses offers more nutrients then regular molasses, not everyone has this in their cupboard...you can replace it with reg. molasses or honey


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

can this be made as a sticky so people can find it easily??


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Here...Let's put a bunch in the same place 

Homemade Electrolytes

1 quart water
juice of 2 to 3 lemons
1/3 cup raw honey
1/2 tsp. sea salt



6 oz. frozen orange juice
6 cups water
1 tbsp. corn syrup
1 tbsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt


1 liter water
1/2 tbsp. baking soda
2 tbsp. of Agave nectar
1/2 tbsp. sea salt



1 cup water
1 cup cocoanut water
1/2 tsp. unrefined salt




Chamomile tea bag brought to a rolling boil and steeped in 1/4 cup water
pour into pitcher and add water to make 1 liter
2 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. soda


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Thank you Happybleats, and Goathiker


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

Happybleats is this something that can be put in the fridge and warmed back up?


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Yes you can....I wouldnt save it more than a week I think..you can also cut it in half for a smaller batch : )


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

Awesome thanks  would it also be good to leave a bucket of it for them over night or during the day, or should i monitor them drinking it?


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Yes you can leave it out for them to drink through out the day or night.....do change it daily though


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## sokoservices (Aug 14, 2013)

happybleats said:


> I thought I would post this in its own thread since we have needed it so often...I found this recipe on the homesteadtoday forum who found it on the MO Ozarks Goat Group who most likley got it from some where else lol..but this is a good mix, goats tend to love it and it encourages more fluid intake, has a nice balance and is cheaper to make the buying electros from the feed store...
> 
> Homemade Electrolytes
> 
> ...


What does the term DRENCH mean?


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

sokoservices said:


> What does the term DRENCH mean?


basically means you put the solution in a syringe, and more or less force feed it to your goat.


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## wildegoats0426 (Aug 30, 2013)

Right, they make drench guns. Or you can use a syringe (without the needle)


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## grindylo (May 15, 2014)

Sorry to bump this but it's great having all these recipe ideas in the same place. Thanks!
Also wanted to add that I have no idea how much potassium is in ACV and it may or may not be better to use lite salt in lieu of that. Morton's Lite Salt has 300mg Na and 360mg K (as potassium chloride) per 1/4 tsp. 

Read so much that you don't want goat rumens to be too acidic, giving free choice baking soda and all, so I'm worried about giving vinegar or orange juice and such. Guess it's okay since so many people do but I don't understand it. Can anyone explain?


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

raw ACV has lots of good benefits for goats, its a fermented food..which are healthy for goats...it contains bioflavonoids, beta-carotene, vitamin C, E, B1, B2, and B6. Tannins from the crushed cell walls of fresh apples as well as malic acid, tartaric acid, propionic acid, acetic acid and pectin (fiber) (per Braggs web sight) .

many offer free choice, add to water, I also use it 50/50 as a drench when goats are anemic ...


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Nice thread!


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## canyontrailgoats (Jan 4, 2014)

I'm glad there are so many options for electrolytes! If I was drenching a wormy goat, could I add garlic to this mix? I have a bunch of garlic pills I could crush, or " garlic juice" in my fridge...


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

> If I was drenching a wormy goat, could I add garlic to this mix? I have a bunch of garlic pills I could crush, or " garlic juice" in my fridge...


Humm? I dont see why not ..


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

Also, ACV is touted to have alkaline effects in the body. It can actually help soothe acid reflux. 

Adding garlic would just be one less thing to shove down your goats mouth (two birds, one stone...)


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## Wild Hearts Ranch (Dec 26, 2011)

Can someone explain the benefits behind some of the different ingredients? I'm guessing the lemon or orange juice is for vitamin C, which although technically not an electrolyte wouldn't hurt any time they're under the weather. And I'm assuming coconut water is for the potassium but that stuff's not cheap. Are the honey/agave/corn syrup just for taste? I don't think there would be enough sugar to do much for energy, which isn't the purpose of electrolytes anyway. And what about table salt vs epsom salts vs baking soda? I have all of those on hand so do any of them work better or differently, or do they all serve the same purpose?


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

To try to answer some of Wild Hearts Ranch questions...

In making your own electrolytes..I feel its important to use the most natrual of ingrediants...but in a pinch we may need alteritive choices..such as with

Molasses is a sugar with Vitamins and Minerals. Although blackstrap is recommended since it has the highest mineral count you can use other molasses or honey, especialy local raw...but of you dont have either you can choose agave, which from my reading is more hype then good...many brands being mixed with corn syrup. So yes its to sweeten and encourage then to drink but adding the better stuff fro benits just makes good sense...

Apple Cider Vinegar contains potassium..and if you use Raw unfiltered, you are offering the benefits of the mother

on salts, again its the minerals they offer..epsom salt offers magnesium sulfate, baking soda offers bicarbonate..either of the choices are fine...

In the hot months, its a good idea to keep some os these ingrediants on hand..just in case you need to encourage more fluid intake : ) 

in our home,we drink Water Kiefer, ( also known as tipicos) a carbonated probiotic drink..one day we found our frig way too full and took a bunch out to see if the goats like it..The basically ran us over for it!!! and now Imake thtem thier own batch...5 gallons a day!! we dont add any fruit ot juices to their...just plain...after we pour their water kiefer in their dish, which they drink in less then a minute!! they chase after the bottle all trying to lick the inside of the spout!! lol..this drink it healthy and realy seems to help with rumen health in the goats...we will now offer a bit to the sheep and see if they will drink...Our bucks thought we were trying to poison them but we will try a little each day to see if it grows on them...I know it took me a while to decide I like it lol...


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

When I feel dehydrated....i make myself a cool glass of homemade electrolytes. It's basically gatorade but tastier and MUCH healthier for you (and it tastes like what's in it...not just a colour flavour.....)


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## judygoatgal (Mar 31, 2016)

nice to have


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