Ribh's D'Coopage

[Ribh]

We are getting more regular size chickens soon. I just want eggs lol not roos and tiny new ones runnin around

I don't want to breed & I don't want chicks ~ just eggs & pretties.

 

[Ribh]

So we had several dozen waterlilies arrive today: miniatures, tropicals & regulars, all of which had to be planted out in plastic tubs until we can get ponds organised. Hubby's job. I have the veto vote.

We picked up star pickets on the mainland yesterday to get the netting up properly to keep my naughty girls where they belong. Everyone has been in the big pen for 2 days straight & we need to change that so the newbies get some outdoor time ~ but not today. Too tired & we were busy trying to catch up on our home business stuff so we can continue to pay for our toys!

Two eggs & a BA in the nesting box as well so that's working. Cooler weather & cooler coop seems to have discouraged my broodies nicely.

 

[Ribh]

Not the prettiest thing going but all we had for the arrival of 30 waterlilies. Each has to sit in its own individual pot & they have been potted up by colour & genus ~ quite the task surrounded by a black cloud of mozzies. The Man is still vacillating between pond choices so we may be stuck with this eyesore for some time.

Meanwhile I am super pleased with how the new coop is holding up. The wet patch is from Patricia stepping in the water this morning & upending it but we had both wind & rain last night. The rain hasn't penetrated the coop @ all & when I checked last night the coop had no moving air & everyone was snuggled up but not overly tightly so obviously warm enough. Kudos to the man ~ who had to work with my rather muddled explanations.

 

[MaryJanet]

Look at those pretty girls!

 

[Ribh]

Look at those pretty girls!

I went out to separate them but Hepzibah was already in a nesting box so I am waiting.

 

[WhoDatChick]

Okay, so the middles are nuts!! I HAVE to go put them up every night! I waited till dark and all they were doing was running back and forth screaming their heads off ... so I have to catch them and put them in their crate.. I am almost ready to integrate so they can just follow the big gals to bed.. but they are still small and am afraid some of the gals are gonna be mean

 

[WhoDatChick]

Oh, and what is it exactly that I have to do to the bottlebrush?

 

[Ribh]

Oh, and what is it exactly that I have to do to the bottlebrush?

lol You don't have to do anything! It will grow just fine if left alone BUT if you would like it to grow nice & bushy you are best to prune. Bear with me 'cause I'm not very good @ explaining stuff like this.

The bottlebrush flower forms @ the end of a stem. New growth will usually form in front of the flower before the flower dies off but when all the flower falls off you are left with bare stem that nothing will grow on so you get growth, bare stem, growth & usually not so much flower. Am I making sense?

So when the flower dies off you prune behind it. [Deadhead ~ if you use this term]This will encourage the plant to bush out rather than grow long & scraggy.
These links are American ~ so deal with stuff like frost that I don't get.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/bottlebrush/pruning-bottlebrush-plants.htm

 

[Ribh]

Okay, so the middles are nuts!! I HAVE to go put them up every night! I waited till dark and all they were doing was running back and forth screaming their heads off ... so I have to catch them and put them in their crate.. I am almost ready to integrate so they can just follow the big gals to bed.. but they are still small and am afraid some of the gals are gonna be mean

lol I think all chickens are nuts. I am losing the battle of the pecking order. The girls would rather go to jail than be good!

 

[WhoDatChick]

lol You don't have to do anything! It will grow just fine if left alone BUT if you would like it to grow nice & bushy you are best to prune. Bear with me 'cause I'm not very good @ explaining stuff like this.

The bottlebrush flower forms @ the end of a stem. New growth will usually form in front of the flower before the flower dies off but when all the flower falls off you are left with bare stem that nothing will grow on so you get growth, bare stem, growth & usually not so much flower. Am I making sense?

So when the flower dies off you prune behind it. [Deadhead ~ if you use this term]This will encourage the plant to bush out rather than grow long & scraggy.
These links are American ~ so deal with stuff like frost that I don't get.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/bottlebrush/pruning-bottlebrush-plants.htm

Thank you so much!! I appreciate all that.. and will def get out there and trim the dead..hope I do it right..
I have seen some near me that are shaped like a tree.. I was wondering if I could get mine like that