What Do Other Creatures Do?

In assessing the changes needed for human health, I've of course sought Scripture, thus natural solutions by our Creator, but I've also watched the animals.

Chickens are interesting in that unlike mammals, their babies have no option but to learn to eat right away!   There is not even a time, like wild birds, of the mother bringing the food to the nest.  Little chickens learn to eat and drink, day two.  They live off the lining of the egg shell the first day, and then it's pick and scratch for the rest of their lives.  Now mama hen still broods over them at night for over a month, until the day she leads them to the roost, but her mothering is far from coddling.  It has to be, for her chicks to survive.

I have a nice herd of goats, and I've certainly learned a lot watching them.  Even with my milk goats, I don't take the kids off their mothers to bottle feed them.  I feel very strongly that what their mothers teach them in the early weeks of life are imperative to their health and long term survival.  Goats forage, so the young ones need to learn what's good and what isn't.  I have a fair knowledge base of that, but I'm not out with them all day to nudge them away or allow them just enough to survive it, but not go back to it.  Since goats are herd animals, I need at least two, and to honor my Sabbath understanding, I only milk once a day.

This has proven to be a very productive method for me.  Once the kids are eating a bit, at 8 days, I separate mothers and babies for about 8 hours in the day time.  That correlates with allowing them the early morning and evening grazing time together.  The babies are with mom from evening until morning getting milk and learning what is good, then for eight hours the kids are penned with hay and to play, then back to moms after milking.

I say all this in this section for two very good human reasons.  First, free range eggs, chicken without arsenic, and raw milk are better for humans than what is being put into our food supply.  Second, I've learned from watching the moms that we humans need to do a better job of teaching our children what is good for them and what will cause them problems later in life.  Good farmacy beats pharmaceuticals any day!