Arizona Chickens

[kacklinkelly]

A little chicken - we share a similar dream. I have worked with just this population of teens for about 10 years. Have worn many hats. I love what I do and am particularly concerned with the girls that are aging out of the system. Many of whom turn to the streets or other undesirable means of providing for themselves. Mine is a Green Dream. Wondering how to get funding from new sources associated with self sustainability, etc. I would love to teach the older teens life skills incorporating the responsibility of caring for animals, preparing the soil, researching growing seasons for different harvests, growing their own food, perhaps online academic courses, sewing lessons, selling what they grow and make for honest (although modest) income. Some of these teens have absolutely no idea how to sew their torn clothing. Sometimes, just having a new clean shirt that fits makes them feel like a million bucks. I have been sharing my dream with different people recently and there seems to be a shared interest with some little twists of ideas. I know there are folks out there wanting to make a positive difference. I also understand what K9Dave says is absolutely true about the teen wanting the support/change. One of the most troubling experiences I had was a highly intelligent teen who was in the care of CPS. She was being offered full college tuition to ASU if she agreed to have some minor oversight by CPS in her life after she turned 18. This girl had previously shared her dream of wanting to be the first to go to college in her family and to become a doctor. Her college prep scores were through the roof. She turned down the tuition stating she didn't want CPS in her life anymore. I still am heartsick about this and do my best to understand her perspective.

 

[kacklinkelly]

In an effort to return my pipe dream post back to AZ Chickens - whenever I tell stories about my chickens or rabbits to the teens I work with, they get the biggest kick out of it and start asking all kinds of questions. They imagine I live on a farm with lots of land. Little to they know I live on a corner lot in an HOA community. Love my chickens and bunnies.

 

[Syl in Tucson]

................"I'm sure I will be taking in some strays before too long. We're wanting kids of our own and I'm sure my door will open in the future. I'm 38 now and left the farm when I was 18. Joined the Army not long after and here I am now.

Helping over 21 kids is amazing. You know how much they say raising a kid is? Wow. Just 1 is a big difference, 21 is special Syl.[/quote]
: ). ... See what I mean? We all have choices. You didn't like your life and you fixed it.
I've always been shocked that people hand their kids over to me. My kids..well,my biological kids, you'd have to kill me to get them away from me. My foster kids..you know those parents had to have their life straight before I'd give them back.
Dave, the best gift you can give to the world is to pay it forward and I think you are well on your way.
To those that are struggling with cps..don't give up! Do whatever you have to get your kids back. The hoops they make you jump thru..ugh. Just do it. Whatever it takes. You can call and ask about your chickens before the inspection. Good luck!

 

[Syl in Tucson]

Some people have no idea how to parent..it is easy for those of us that say, "how could they do that"? But most of the time we never really know the truth.. You are truly blessed to have been in that program.. We too also talk about oster care.. It is the paper work that gets me to say no. The actual paper work, I can barly get our Tax's done in time.. Plus our home is soooo small.. If we did we would want teenagers.. Sounds weird, but they are more self sufficient.. Do you have photos or still talk to the ther kids??

Yes, we see some of our foster kids on a regular basis. Some of the kids, they would rather put that time of their life in their past, where it belongs. We almost always took teenagers. They don't require diaper changes, but the TIME... You have to do a lot of listening. We have a small house and 5 of our own children. And our children never said no to taking in another kid. They complained. Sure. But they have always been proud of the fact that they lived in a "shelter".

 

[Syl in Tucson]

Desert Marci ... I would love another laying hen. My girls are all around 5 months old and are starting to lay. Do you have for sale a very sweet hen that you don't want to throw in a pot? Maybe that lays blue eggs? I live in town, so I don't have a rooster and this would be my last chicken as I have reached my limit : )
I'm in midtown Tucson

 

[K9Dave]

I have this pipe dream that my husband and I start a not for profit farm where we have rescued animals and we work with a group that helps at risk kids. We would assign animals to the at risk teen for them to care for. built trust skills.  I am working on my animal science degree at the U of A and that is what I want to do with it. Thing is I have no idea how to start it. I know how to start a not for profit as I started my kids booster club for their school and I know how to raise animals as I have had them off and on for 37 years. I just do not know how to jump from the animals to working with at risk teens. There are many of them in need  and I know it helps. 
I will be looking for a model and there are a couple here in Tucson so hopefully.
I appreciate your posts Dave, thank you for sharing. 

I haven't shared that with anyone in a long time. Got me to thinking and did some research. Mr. Cooper died just 2 years ago. The Director of it now didn't have more info as it was over 20 years ago. Imagine at such an old age how many kids lives he must've touched in the same way he did me.

 

[Syl in Tucson]

You are a great person!!!! I want to take in foster kids. I would love to help kids in need. 

Little Chicken, if you want to do this...just do it! Jump right on in. You can get your feet wet by volunteering in any number of organizations. The paperwork and screenings and all the hoops..yeah maddening but essential. Got to keep the kids safe. They've been thru enough.
It takes a lot out of you. I'm zapped. Burnout is a real thing. And I'm not a great person. I've been paying for bad stuff I did in a previous life. Lol

 

[Syl in Tucson]

I haven't shared that with anyone in a long time. Got me to thinking and did some research. Mr. Cooper died just 2 years ago. The Director of it now didn't have more info as it was over 20 years ago. Imagine at such an old age how many kids lives he must've touched in the same way he did me.

Bless his heart. He was doing what he could to make a difference in his small corner of the world.

 

[Macboat]

I think LKD was referring to the Fox Farm experiments by the Russian geneticist Dmitry Belyaev, which started in 1959 and continue to today.  Belyaev was interested in the domestication process of wolves to dogs and chose another canid, the fox, to recreate and study this process.   They selected for tameness and have been wildly successful.  They were not selecting for coat color or other physical characteristics, but rather they were interested in how the domestication process affected physical characteristics, such as coat color.  Interestingly, selecting for tameness had similar consequences for particular physical characteristics across a diversity of animals.  Here is a great and recent overview and update on the science going on at the fox farm.

amazing! Thanks for the link.

 

[a little chiken]

A little chicken - we share a similar dream. I have worked with just this population of teens for about 10 years. Have worn many hats. I love what I do and am particularly concerned with the girls that are aging out of the system. Many of whom turn to the streets or other undesirable means of providing for themselves. Mine is a Green Dream. Wondering how to get funding from new sources associated with self sustainability, etc. I would love to teach the older teens life skills incorporating the responsibility of caring for animals, preparing the soil, researching growing seasons for different harvests, growing their own food, perhaps online academic courses, sewing lessons, selling what they grow and make for honest (although modest) income. Some of these teens have absolutely no idea how to sew their torn clothing. Sometimes, just having a new clean shirt that fits makes them feel like a million bucks. I have been sharing my dream with different people recently and there seems to be a shared interest with some little twists of ideas. I know there are folks out there wanting to make a positive difference. I also understand what K9Dave says is absolutely true about the teen wanting the support/change. One of the most troubling experiences I had was a highly intelligent teen who was in the care of CPS. She was being offered full college tuition to ASU if she agreed to have some minor oversight by CPS in her life after she turned 18. This girl had previously shared her dream of wanting to be the first to go to college in her family and to become a doctor. Her college prep scores were through the roof. She turned down the tuition stating she didn't want CPS in her life anymore. I still am heartsick about this and do my best to understand her perspective.

That is such a great idea too. I have 2 boys but cannot have more kids but feel like I was meant to have more. maybe one day I can do this.