Share a beer with your goat!
You maybe asking, Why would I give my goats beer? The answer is a simple one, beer is a little bit of a super food for livestock in general, not just for goats. In dark beers like Guinness and Amber Bock, the malted barley is a good source of your vitamin B-12, B-6, B-1, Selenium, Amino Acids, Copper, Iron, manganese and galactagogue which helps with production in both people and lactating livestock. Galactagogue I believe can also be found in alfalfa, oats and barley. Yeast found in beer is also common ingredient of many probiotics and beer contains bacteria that's good for the gut. Hops are not only a digestive aid, but also an anti-inflammatory antioxidant. The darker the beer, the more benefits there are.
Beer can be used to revitalize your furry friends after a hard day of work, during times of stress such as travel and hot/cold weather, help stimulate your picky eaters, and can treat/ help with bloat problems commonly found in ruminants. Beer doesn't have the same effect on most livestock as it does it in people, with the exception of swine, as the liver metabolizes the alcohol faster than ours. Swine, as most of you know, are very similar to people in many ways and can get a pretty good buzz off the alcohol. Some farmers will give their hogs beer to help them relax much in the same way as we do. Like with any super food, it can be over done. I wouldn't suggest going out to the barnyard and getting all your animals drunk but a tasty brew here and there can be a beautiful thing to your animal's health.
There are products out there that do have used beer yeast in them, feeds, supplements, etc., however if your animals are anything like ours they will just eat around it. We use bottled beer and use it a bit like you would as if you were bottle feeding a baby. You can take the end off a kid/lamb nipple to assist too. For goats, most like their beverages warm, however, warm beer stresses the yeast and it may be less beneficial. I recommend keeping the temp under 75 degrees as warmer can kill off the yeast.
On a side note, I've heard rumors that the hops in beer can be toxic to dogs, so out of caution, please don't go out and get your dogs drunk as entertaining as it may be.
Benefits of beer in soap!
Beer consists of many vitamins and minerals, stated earlier, that help nurture your skin. The yeast in beer is said to help with acne. The hops contain amino acids that helps to sooth irritation and redness with it's skin softening properties. The antioxidants mixed with the vitamin Bs in beer can strengthen and moisturize your skin and hair. Beer contains hygroscopic properties that acts as a natural exfoliator which is beneficial as it helps to restore the balance of the skin’s natural oils. The beer in soap gives the soap s natural, wonderful, fresh bread fragrance and smooth lather for all your scrubbing needs.
Benefits of beer for you...
Health benefits of consuming beer in moderation include its potential to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, and provide an increase in bone density. It helps to prevent coronary diseases, aids with digestion, can help in the treatment of gallstones, kidney stones, osteoporosis, and hypertension. A few years back, I remember reading an article, I can't find it now, where a running team had done an experiment where they would drink a beer before a run. If I remember correctly, for the women, the beer actually helped them reach personal records, where as the men had slowed down...or something along those lines. I would not suggest drinking before running lol, however,I had found the results of this article exciting. For athletes, there is actually a beer out there made with electrolyes to aid in muscle recovery. Remember how in the begining of this article I said that beer has anti-inflammatory properties? It helps in people too. In fact a lot of the same benefits for goats and other livestock that are found in beer are also true in people. Beer or alcoholic beverages can also do a lot of damage too, as we all know. There is a key word to take from all of this...Moderation.