My chickens are not pets, and they have a large enclosed yard where they can eat the naturally occurning seeds and bugs. They also eat the small snakes and mice the come into their yard through the fence. But I provide them with supplemental feed so they can get what they need to be healthy. Young ones get medicated feed because they are hatched with certain pathogens in their systems already and need looking after from day one. I also add a few drops of clorox to their water to keep the waterer sanitary for the health of the chickens who use it. When they get older I also use a wormer twice a year to keep them from a miserable death. Maybe it isn't "natural" to give them all these things, but it's healthier for them and also for us. You could use the analogy that humans are naturally supposed to be vegetarieans and to live naturally we shouldn't put chemicals in our bodies. That would include the innoculations against dreaded diseases that wiped out thousands of people in past history. I like it better this way. My three children grew up healthy and my 84 year old mother has had regular health care all her life and she's doing fine. Health care isn't "natural" but it's better than the alternative, both for humans and for our animals. Cheryl

I am very protective of my snakes, Sheila. I married a man who had the knee jerk response to them, and it's taken me many years to get him over it so he would appreciate just how beneficial they are in our environment and how they are disappearing because of fear alone. The folks in my area have a 'copperhead' obsession. Every snake anyone sees is automatically a copperhead. Yes, we have them around, but I have only seen two of them in my life. And even then I just walked away from them.

Thanks for that link, mtn, although I wasn't surprised at the two lists and mostly already follow that guideline for what I buy organic. Years ago I read an article by someone who had visited a strawberry farm and was aghast at the protective suits the farmers wore due to the pesticides they were using. Ever since then I've made sure never to buy berries that aren't organic but it's not always easy to find them here. Whole Foods is hit or miss - some days they have them, some not. Even most of the local,produce stands aren't organic! I want to support my local growers but often can't. We had a great butcher that carried grass fed meats but sadly he closed. I think his high prices prevented him from getting the number of customers necessary to stay open. The area I need most improvement is our meats, eggs and dairy. I don't buy processed foods (rarely ever even go to the regular grocery store), and do well with produce, it's being able to find reasonably priced "healthy" meats, poultry and fish that kills me. Funny conversation at the dinner table last night. Somehow we started talking about tv dinners that were so popular in the 70s. Dh and I were trying to describe them to the kids when one of my kids chimed in, "so kinda like lunchables for adults?". Lol - exactly! Years ago my kids would ask why I never bought lunchables, and of course I explained why. Then one of my kids had the chance to taste one while at a friend's house and said it was awful and was thankful for my homemade lunches!

My favorite of the day: No rational argument will have a rational effect on a man (me: or a woman) who does not want to adopt a rational attitude. Karl Popper Of course the Jim Davis quotes are all nice, after all, I get bossed around by my Midnight, a.k. Catzarina.