Bee~ Journal of then...

[freemotion]

As for CEU costs....I wonder if they are subsidized for nursing. I have taugh CEU courses for massage therapists and would expect to get paid at least what I would make spending a similar amount of time with clients. And it is a lot of work preparing the syllibus and developing handouts, etc.

Actually, it is my plan to become a CEU provider, now that MA is a licensed state, the therapists will be looking for CEU's. And being on the CT border, I have that crowd, too. It will be a great way for me to make some money while saving my hands, and pay down some debt. I've taught courses in the past through the school where I teach on Saturday.

It can be good to be on the flip side! Glad your state has loopholes for you, too.

 

[lorihadams]

Hey Bee, how long have you been doing MT? Could you teach to make some extra money like freemotion?

 

[Beekissed]

No massage schools nearby.....everything is 50 miles from here! I know that sounds crazy but its true! The closest Walmart is 39 miles!

I know what you mean, Free! The seminars are a very lucrative side bar to MT, my instructor doesn't have a business anymore, he only teaches and does seminars. He travels all over doing his seminars, even up to Canada. He's good at what he does.

Actually, I think that nursing CEUs are cheaper because more places offer them and competition lowers prices. They used to be more expensive until the nurse organizations demanded more reasonable prices. Facilities started applying for offering CEUs in facility. Well, this made the CEUs free for nurses. The companies that offered them started to see that people will not be hijacked and held up at the gun point of high prices just because there is a monopoly. They were creating ways around it and the medical boards could not deny the facilities CEU application for any good reason. So....we got lower prices.

If enough MTs decided that the courses for CEUs were exhorbitant and they found an alternative, the seminars would have to lower prices. Or, if enough MTs got into giving the seminars and offered a lower fee and got more people to come because of it, then the higher priced seminars would go by the wayside. Its all supply and demand. Until then, there will be people like me side stepping the rules until they are more reasonable. I paid good money for my education and I don't mind paying a reasonable amount for licensure. But CEUs to learn something I already know? Just so I can say I bought CEUs? They need to be reasonably priced to encourage more people to enter and stay in the profession, to encourage compliance with licensure rules, and to give those of us who spent big money on schooling to actually afford to keep practicing. Even doctors won't pay that kind of money for CEUs!!!!

 

[Beekissed]

I have a broody!!! Yay!

We are loading her up with NH eggs, as I want more of those big, shiney brown egg -layers. If this hatch is successful, this will be my first naturally- raised biddies from my own flock. We had hens with biddies while I was growing up, but I've never had a place set up for separating broodies since I've been keeping hens in my adulthood, nor did I wish to develop a certain type of flock before. Now I do!

She is a big, fat White Rock hen of about 8 mo. old. I am giving her a clutch of 10 eggs. I have set up a nice nest in an igloo-type dog house in my brood pen. Tomorrow night we will remove her and her eggs from the main coop and see if she takes to the new nest. It will be dark and private, with plenty of soft, green hay. I'm going to fasten a rug over the door of the doghouse to help her stay warm and she will still be able to hear and see her free ranging girlfriends. The top of the dog house lifts off, so I can access her nest for observation, cleaning, etc. if needed. I wish I could have had this happen when the boys were little...they've never seen this before, can you believe that?

The boys and I are speculating on just what the chicks will look like. They will, of course, be half New Hamp. The other half will be either RIR, Blue Orp, or Partridge Rock....a good mix of all, I'm sure. These will be some very pretty, but mixed up chicks!!

 

[TanksHill]

Yeah for you Bee. How much fun is that. You know, how can you tell if a hen is actually broody. If we leave eggs in the coop for any extended period of time. One of my girl sits on them. I actually put 1/2 doz eggs under a gal once. Only one hatched. But my 5yo sure was excited. She went down one afternoon and saw this little black chick walking around the coop. We still have the hen. She turned out to be a healthy happy little barred rock, who just started laying. But really what are the "signs"?

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Congratulations, Bee!!! I hope she hatches you lots of chicks!!

 

[justusnak]

Congrats Bee. I too have a broody. However, mine is a banty Cochin frizzle. I gave her 2 turkey eggs! She sits SO HIGH now! LOL
I just wanted to see if she will hatch them. She is a pretty determined little thing.
Good liuck with your broody. It sure is a lot of fun to watch the momma teach the babies about life.

 

[punkin]

Good for you on the broody. Stuff those eggs under her and let nature take it's course. You'll have little fluffballs running around everywhere.

It sounds like you have a wonderful place for her. She should be very happy and content. Good luck!!

 

[freemotion]

We want ALL the details, daily reports!!! AND pictures!

 

[Beekissed]

Yeah for you Bee. How much fun is that. You know, how can you tell if a hen is actually broody. If we leave eggs in the coop for any extended period of time. One of my girl sits on them. I actually put 1/2 doz eggs under a gal once. Only one hatched. But my 5yo sure was excited. She went down one afternoon and saw this little black chick walking around the coop. We still have the hen. She turned out to be a healthy happy little barred rock, who just started laying. But really what are the "signs"?

Well, the signs are when you go in the coop to gather eggs well past the time when all the girls have usually laid their gifts and you find a fluffed up ol' biddy still on the nest. You reach towards her to kind of shoo her off the nest and she will growl or squawk at you with her beak held wide or even peck at you if you persist. So, ya go ahead and yank the ol' bird off the nest and take her eggs anyway....then she either stands there all fluffed out and growling or cusses you out even more and starts pacing the coop. The next thing ya know she is right back on there, refuses to roost on the roosts, and stays on the nest all day and night. I usually wait a couple three days to see if she is serious. I evict her each day and see if she is determined enough to pursue it. Then I know I have a determined broody that is ready to set up house! This hen will lay a clutch of eggs and then no more until she is allowed to hatch that set.

If she is one that is not a good broody(doesn't stay on the nest consistently or moves from nest to nest) I will dunk her in a bucket of water a couple of times to reset her mind. I have one of those gals(an EE) and I will cull her come spring. My sis gave her and her one chick to me. She couldn't defend her 4 chicks at my sis's home and the rest of the flock killed all but the one. This is not a good broody hen. I already culled her chick at around 5 mo. for undesirable traits.

I want hens who will challenge the devil himself if they come near her eggs or chicks! THAT's a good mama and can keep her chicks safe and alive in a free range flock. No weaklings here. I have neither the time nor the desire to play nursemaid to a hen and babies who cannot make it on their own. They will get their special pen until the chicks are about a week old. Then we'll cut 'em loose and watch them for how they do. If she can't hold her own in the flock and protect her biddies, I'll turn them back into the pen and let her get them old enough to survive on their own. She will then be marked with a leg band and will no longer be allowed to go broody.

I know that sounds a bit ruthless, but I'm in this for the long haul. I want survivors on this place who can weather tough times and conditions....because we may have to. I don't want to spend anymore money on buying chicks, I want to breed my own and cull for positive traits. I don't necessarily want a perfect flock, but I do want the most SS flock I can develop.