If you’ve ever heard your grandfather talk about giving the farmyard animals beer in order to help them feel better after an illness, you probably thought he’d lost his marbles.
The truth is, goats, as well as many other farm animals, are encouraged to drink a good, dark beer after being sick. Dark beer helps to restore the flora in a goat’s stomach. One dark beer in the morning, and possibly one dark beer in the evening, will help to make a goat feel better.
Whether you’re just starting your own goat farm, or are looking to help heal your goat without that expensive vet bill, let’s learn together what it really takes to feed your goat a good old-fashioned beer.
What’s in a Beer
Darker beers are usually the best because they contain more vitamins than amber-like beers. Dark beers contain vitamins such as B-12, B-6, B-1, selenium, amino acids, copper, iron, manganese, and galactagogue; all of these vitamins are best for promoting gut health. They serve the same purpose as a human eating yogurt. The reason for the dark color is the roasted malt, which contains many of the vitamins needed. Beer is like a superfood for goats when they are feeling a bit under the weather.
Another wonderful attribute of dark beer is that it does contain galactagogue, which helps in the production of milk. Depending on what the vet says is best for your goat, giving them a beer during pregnancy may not be the best. Some other foods that contain galactagogue are alfalfa, oats, and barley. These options are decent enough if your goat is willing to eat, but sometimes they stop eating because of gut problems, so that is when beer is a great alternative so they don’t have to chew. Beer can be an easier option rather than forcing them to digest food to help their health.
According to some good Irish trainers when treating horses, Guinness stout is considered one of the better options, as well as a bit cheaper, when it comes to treating tummy issues. The yeast in a Guinness dark beer contains Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is a great source of probiotics. This is a form of yeast and is commonly used in breweries. Probiotics restore flora, and promote gut health, and are commonly found in yeast. The darker, the better.
What Beer is Best
If you’re not a big drinker or don’t know anything about beers, then it might be helpful to know that there aren’t any American-made dark beers. There are dark beer options at Walmart, so simply make sure they contain the roasted malt, as that is what will have the most vitamins. The cost is not necessarily what determines if a beer has malt or not. It’s not as if we’re looking for a flavorful option; more likely your goat will fight a bit because of the slight burn.
So here are some good options for dark beers: Michelob Amber Bock, Keegan’s Mother’s Milk Stout (a bit expensive per bottle), as well as Sumi Zest (a bit more expensive). It is important for you to make sure that the beer is dark and will be beneficial in restoring flora and improving your goat’s gut health.
How to Properly Give Your Goat a Beer
Goats do not have opposable thumbs, so they are not going to be as gracious when you try to help them drink a beer to make them feel better. The best way to give the beer to a goat is to purchase nipples for a calf’s bottle, then cut a half circle into the end of the nipple. This will help give the goat a swallow at a time of the beer. This is more helpful for goats that are drinking their first beer and haven’t gotten used to enjoying the burn and feeling good. Goats that are more used to drinking a beer to feel better most likely won’t need a nipple for assistance and can drink out of a bowl or pail.
If it’s easier, or cheaper, you can certainly syringe the beer into their mouths until they feel a bit more comfortable to either drink it out of the bottle or out of a pail. A little bit of beer at a time will help them get accustomed to it on their own, rather than trying to wrangle them while holding a bottle. Goats aren’t very picky creatures, so it won’t take long for them to get accustomed to the smell and taste. Some goats may not want the beer at all, and it’s usually best not to force it.
What Other Barnyard Animals Will This Remedy Help?
If you have goats, then it may be safe to assume that you have other animals in your care that could also use some beer. Believe it or not, beer is a great remedy for many other farm animals. One of these animals is a horse. In Great Britain, it is common for racers to give their horses a pint of Guinness dark beer after a hard race. Horses expend a great amount of energy when pushing beyond their limits. A good dark beer helps to restore their vitamins and encouraging them to eat a big meal after a hard race. It’s a great anti-inflammatory agent both on the gut as well as on the muscles and joints.
Any barnyard animal could use a good boost in probiotics and encouragement to eat from a delicious dark beer. Dark beers are great for helping to soothe the throat and promote gut health to any ailing animal. It depends on how sick they are or how little they have recently eaten. Some animals get stubborn when trying to eat, so helping them drink one or two beers is good for them and will not get them intoxicated and loopy. Share a beer with your animal friends that need some encouragement to eat and be healthy.