Need ideas from non-meat & dairy eaters....

 You can raise 2or three chickens on your own, and they would provide eggs that you know are well cared for. Actually that seems to be quite the trend right now. And they don't take much room at all. A small dog coop with a roost put in and a fenced in area with grass. 

You might also look into a local farmers coop, be sure to ask where and how the animals are raised and don't hesitate to stop by the farm. If you think that is at all an option.

I wish I could have a couple chickens.  I also wish I could have a couple goats for milk.  I live in a mobile home park, and I don't think they would let me.  I don't have much room, but I actually would have room for a few chickens and two small goats.  One of the miniature breeds.  But apparently some people are funny about having goats and chickens around.

 I just found out it is legal in Baltimore to keep chickens. I don't know why it would not be but someone recently told me that and I though "huh. interesting."

I don't think my landlord would like that though!

I think people assume they will be noisy and messy.  You know, birds poop a lot.  And if you have two dozen chickens, they probably would be rather noisy and there would be some feathers and poop and stuff.  But if you had two or three chickens, and kept them fenced in (like you should, so nothing can eat them), I don't think they would be that noisy or messy. 

The farmer I buy eggs from (who has a couple dozen chickens, at least) moves his chicken coop every few days.  He puts the cows in a pasture for a few days, then when they've eaten most of the grass there, moves the cows to a new pasture and puts the chickens in the first pasture.  The chickens scratch around in the dirt, and spread the cow manure around like fertilizer.  Lots of bugs land in the cow manure, and the chickens eat the bugs.  After they've spread the manure all around, it's time to move them to the next pasture, where the cows just were.  It's a nice system.

 Nature is so beautiful. 

Well look...lemme work on not killing a garden first then I'll see about the chickens!

See, I kill plants.  I did not inherit my grandmother's green thumb.  When she was alive, I would take my house plants to her when they were almost dead and she would revive them.  But then she would not give them back to me.

But I can take care of animals.  I can take sick animals and treat them and they get better.  Animals rarely die on me.  Of course, it's a lot harder to forget to feed and water them than it is plants.  The plants don't meow at me at 4:00 in the morning to remind me to feed them. 

 I tend to over-love plants, especially vegetable plants. I water them too much. 

I am joining my local community garden this weekend. Hopefully modeling others will help me so next year I can do my own garden! And with the community garden we get to take home veggies.

 Lol, good luck with the garden!

I have chickens!!! Not terribly messy at all, we use their droppings for compost(as  well as the litter form our rabbit), they give us beautiful eggs and are fun pets,amusing to watch(relaxing even) and beneficial in so many ways(they keep the pests to a minimum also)We have a dozen, and when we do get a rooster I send them to a friend who has alot of land where they cohabit peacefully until they either pass from natural causes or(in one roosters case) give their life protecting their flock

 I raise my own chickens. One of our hens just hatched out 11 babies the other day. We have approx 30 chickens (not including the babies) and 5 roosters. I never thought about killing my roosters. They each have their little group of hens. And they free range on our 2 acres in the back. I get organic feed from the feed store and I feed them scraps from the garden and the kitchen.  We consume the eggs, but not the chickens.  I still buy chicken meat from the grocery store. I was raised vegan and am gradually returning to it. But my husband and daughter still eat meat. I cannot fathom killing any of my chickens. We raised a couple pigs a couple of years ago. They were raised with the idea we would butcher them, and use them for food.  My husband used to go hunting with his buddies every year, but always "missed his shot". When it came time to butcher the pigs. I ended up doing everything myself. My husband was over the toilet the whole time. I did not mind, but I was upset because it was a lot of hard work. But I soon realized why he never was succesful at hunting.  I will buy the meat at the store for my family, because they want it and do not care. I do. I eat soy, and as much organic etc. as I can get. But I did learn that to me, a living creature once killed, cannot be replaced. I miss the pigs. They had personalities, and were kind animals. They had feelings and enjoyed life also. So even though they were raised pretty much free range, and ate organic and good healthy food. And were raised with the purpose of being food for us. I still felt guilty when I butchered them. I cannot get over how each life is so important. It is not worth it for me to eat an animal, when I can get my nutrition elswhere.