Anyone who eats Garlic knows it creates serious bad breath, which can be very off-putting and greatly reduces any romantic notions.  But this potent member of the lily family (Allium Sativum, if you are into Latin) has been used for hundreds of years as a panacea for all ills.

Garlic has been popular since Roman times and originated in central Asia.  Used to reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, blood clots and cancer it is also well known for its antibacterial properties.

The key active ingredient in Garlic is ALLICIN, which is the smelly bit released by the allicinase enzyme when the garlic is crushed.  However, garlic is know to contain over 100 other components including sulphur compounds, saponine, anti-oxidants, fructans and selenium.

So what on earth has all this to do with cattle or sheep?  Garlic has been shown to have several benefits for ruminants:

• Development of natural gut flora whilst suppressing pathogenic organisms
• Anti-bacterial effects in calves helping to reduce pneumonia
• Fly repellent properties
• Encouragement of feed intake

All of which lead to healthier and more productive animals.

At Scotmin we incorporate garlic into many of our products as a result of successful field trial work and positive comments from our farmer customers, particularly with regard to its fly repellent properties.

A word of warning however, not all Garlic is the same.  The best garlic without question is ‘Chinese A’ grade, which is the only Garlic we use at Scotmin. Cheap imitations are available but are not as effective, wasting you time and money.