Our introduction to keeping chickens, the high's, the lows and pics of our journey.

[joannefiddler]

All of your resourcefulness reminded me of the "one acre Eden" project the folks at greenfirefarms have documented on their site. If you haven't seen it, you might enjoy a look: http://greenfirefarms.com/oneacreeden/the-oae-story/ . I have a feeling it won't be too long before you guys get your wish for larger place.

 

[NovaAman]

Well, I for one can say that there are only a few threads that I religiously look at. This is one of them. How in the heck that happened? I have no idea. I guess I could go back and read my first posts... then see why I got hooked... nah, to much time. LOL. I'll just continue to stick around.

Mama took her babies out today. Had to rescue them from the chicken wire. No chickie chickie, you can not fit through that chicken wire. Criptoe was having a freaking fit, trying to get her chick out, and then I was waiting for her to flog me in the face when I got down under the coop to rescue the chick, but it was almost as if she knew I was there to help. She's one of the nicer behaved mamas, though she is still EVIL to all other birds who come near. Anyway, chick saved, crisis averted. Now if only I could tell if Sheh-Sheh, the hissing demon hen from hello, was close to hatching her babies. Marans eggs. Even with the big mag light and the outside dark, I couldn't tell a lick. They'll be blue babies! Oh please please please...

 

[NovaAman]

OH, and Ben, I was going to say that my Amber lays a plum hued egg too. When I got the first one from her and set it in the egg carton next to the other brown egg, I really noticed it. It's one of my favorite colors in there. I used to get one pink and one green egg as well until the antifreeze incident. I still have not figured out the cooling problem with that jeep...

 

[janew]

Hi Ben, first time I've posted on here.
I've been reading your story and lost the thread 4 days ago, been searching for it, the suspense of waiting for your first egg was torture.
We've only had our 4 girls for a week and a half, 2 of them started laying on the second day, and yesterday we had 3 eggs for the first time, still waiting for the last one to start laying.
It's been lovely reading your story, the good and the bad.

 

[Bens-Hens]

Nova, we can talk about the Jeep via FB if you like, easier to share pic and I can check that from my phone at work. I might be able to help you out from here.

The plum is just the bloom on ours, I washed the first egg to check and it is just a normal brown one like from the shop now, just smaller. I have looked around to see how to get plum and pink layers, Creme Legbar seems to pop up a big in the breed mix.

Janew, welcome to BYC, your first post and it's in my little old story! Thanks for dropping in, I love to share. Everyday I learn something new on here so it's only fair I think that I give a little something back, even if it's just making someone laugh at the way us Aussies spell things.

Joanne, I will book mark that site and have a look after work tonight, sounds right up my alley, hope you are right about the land. I had a dream the other night we got a little land and opened a B and B called 'The Poultry Experience', each of the accommodation had it's own run and breed and the huts were named after the breeds they kept. The guest's got an eco trip as well as to play chickens for their stay, I woke up all excited lol

Maybe something for us to take on in my later years.

 

[NovaAman]

Ben... here is the problem with the jeep. Keeps boiling over into the over-flow and then out.
What have I done...
Replaced thermostat first. Then water-pump, head gasket, rad cap. Still over heating if I do not have the heat on all the time. Checked pressure, good. Had it flushed, and still... over heats. Sometimes, like today, I shut it down for 30 minutes because the radio started to sound funky (when it gets hot, it acts up) popped the hood, and just waited. Didn't lose any water this time though. OH, and I have burped it several times. One of those times is how I ended up poisoning my garage birds when antifreeze went every where. Lost laying hens... Anyway, I was thinking maybe I had a reverse flow on that, but I don't. That would be the only other problem. I even jack the hood with a peice of 2x2 cut off from one of the coop projects, to increase air flow over the engine to keep it cooler. Yes, it helps. I can jimmy rig right.

A friend suggested that my fan might not be good, it is on the belt drive, but I checked it anyway, and shredded a paper. That was fun. Now I know how to make confetti in a jiffy.

I have also replaced the alternator and the powersteering pump.

I'll tell you, running around for work with the heat on in 90f weather is NOT condusive to a fun jeep driving experience. I took it to the dealer, and they are even at a loss as to wth is wrong. Oh...it's 18 going on 19 years old. Engine runs great. Nice and smooth. Checked the 0331 to see if it was possibly cracked, but there is not fluid in their. I am not losing antifreeze at all unless it goes out the over flow, and so, this makes it harder to figure out. If the 0331 were cracked, I'd be losing water in the cylinder, and all the plugs are dry on all 6, but it'd usually be the 0331. There is not water in the oil, no oil in the water. There was before the head and tappit gaskets were replaced.

SO.... there ya have it. Any ideas? I was thinking maybe a faster secondary aux coolant fan might work, but I ran with out one last two years, and it was even hotter then this year.

 

[NovaAman]

The B&B idea sounds freaking cool! I'd go to one of those.

 

[Bens-Hens]

OK, some news on the egg front....you won't hear me say this very often, but I have been wrong all along! Not Luna, not Cleo, but Sunny is our dark horse. I watched her closely while cleaning the coop this morning, and thought it was Cleo in the nest box yesterday who I disturbed. Today I watched Sunny go in (now marked with a little red tie on her ankle) to the nest box. I left her alone and went back a little while later and found an egg, right there in the tiny nest box lol. I then went and got Riley (4.5 years old) and filmed him finding it. I will upload the little vid later.

Our first champion! Sunny the LS.






Luna had scammed a few free pat's the last couple of day's taking credit for two egg's she didn't lay hahahaha

Ben... here is the problem with the jeep. Keeps boiling over into the over-flow and then out.
What have I done...
Replaced thermostat first. Then water-pump, head gasket, rad cap. Still over heating if I do not have the heat on all the time. Checked pressure, good. Had it flushed, and still... over heats. Sometimes, like today, I shut it down for 30 minutes because the radio started to sound funky (when it gets hot, it acts up) popped the hood, and just waited. Didn't lose any water this time though. OH, and I have burped it several times. One of those times is how I ended up poisoning my garage birds when antifreeze went every where. Lost laying hens... Anyway, I was thinking maybe I had a reverse flow on that, but I don't. That would be the only other problem. I even jack the hood with a peice of 2x2 cut off from one of the coop projects, to increase air flow over the engine to keep it cooler. Yes, it helps. I can jimmy rig right.

A friend suggested that my fan might not be good, it is on the belt drive, but I checked it anyway, and shredded a paper. That was fun. Now I know how to make confetti in a jiffy.

I have also replaced the alternator and the powersteering pump.

I'll tell you, running around for work with the heat on in 90f weather is NOT condusive to a fun jeep driving experience. I took it to the dealer, and they are even at a loss as to wth is wrong. Oh...it's 18 going on 19 years old. Engine runs great. Nice and smooth. Checked the 0331 to see if it was possibly cracked, but there is not fluid in their. I am not losing antifreeze at all unless it goes out the over flow, and so, this makes it harder to figure out. If the 0331 were cracked, I'd be losing water in the cylinder, and all the plugs are dry on all 6, but it'd usually be the 0331. There is not water in the oil, no oil in the water. There was before the head and tappit gaskets were replaced.

SO.... there ya have it. Any ideas? I was thinking maybe a faster secondary aux coolant fan might work, but I ran with out one last two years, and it was even hotter then this year.

Hmm, sorry to digress for the non-auto folk. I will do my best to work through this. Everyone else....just scroll on by.

On the surface, you should have cracked it by now, which makes me wonder if something has been missed. Forgive me if I ask questions about things you have already done, but I have been caught out before not double checking something. You sound pretty competent so I won't beat about the bush, but ask if you want to clarify something.

-Thermostat, are you sure it was the right temp rating, located around the right way and also functional. I would be considering removing it double checking and also testing it in hot water. The boil over is a classic thermostat issue.
- Water pump, I have seen the pump veins corrode away to nothing before so the pump looked like it was working perfect, but it was just thrashing around and not pumping. A new pump should fix that, but I have seen loose impellers on a new pump before, worse comes to worse that's another thing that could be looked at. Also, double check the drive pulley bolts are in and secure to the drive flange.
- Pressure check is good, but you need to make sure the cap is the right rating, and also the right TYPE. It should be a recovery type so that as the engine cools down it sucks the coolant in the expansion tank back into the engine. I have seen the wrong cap fitted and not resolved an issue as coolant is lost and not replaced. I have also seen the little spear that should go to the bottom of the expansion tank break off and so it created the same issue. I have also seen the hoses on the wrong connection on the tank which caused the same issue. I can clarify if you need it.
- Burped it, lol, I am stealing that one. That's good, pays to double check the Jeep procedure though. Some cars have a bleeder they want to use as it is located higher than the fill cap so you can still get air locks even if you run it with the cap off.
- Radiator, have a look if there are any new obstructions. I have seen mud, seeds, bugs, dust, spot lights and rags cover some or all of a radiator's air flow path, if you can't get the air over those cooling fins it will never run cool. Crouch down and shine a torch through it, should be able to see through.
- Shredding the paper is good for making a mess and proving the fan is spinning, but still check to make sure the pump is turning too. The pulley is driven by the belt and that drives the fan, inside it should also be connected to the pump flange, to drive the impeller. If the bolts are too short or miss aligned it could all look like working, but not spinning the impeller.
- Dealer, IMO, not really worth it. They normally put young guys on the job, and ends up costing a packet fo them to replace everything until they jag the right bit. Better to go to a specialist and pay the right price the first time. Cost more short term, but in the long run it's usually cheaper.
- Coolant, I am assuming that you use the right stuff given how cold it gets there. People here often skip out on the coolant/antifreeze to save a few bucks, but it does an important job and should be in there. Plain water although cheap corrodes internal and boils at a much lower temperature. You could have the best system going, but on water it will still probably overheat.

Not loosing fluid to the oil is a good sign, could pay to have the radiator combustion tested. Basically it's a kit that 'sniffs' the radiator fluid to make sure that there is not a crack or leak in the head pumping combustion temps into the cooling system.

You have been on the right track, but something small can easily trip people up. Even experienced mechanics like myself. I have learnt almost all those lesson the hard way lol I would double check those things and then see where you are at. Feel free to drop me a PM or holler on FB if you have any more questions.

The B&B idea sounds freaking cool! I'd go to one of those.

I liked it too, amazed my brain thought of it! so did Alicia when I told her the next day.

 

[NovaAman]

new water pump. Fail safe thermos, though I am considering taking it out. Rad cap calls for 13 psi, that's what I just put on new. Put on 2 different caps actually. Radiator is 2 years old, flushed it anyway, and cleaned the fins.

 

[scottcaddy]

new water pump. Fail safe thermos, though I am considering taking it out. Rad cap calls for 13 psi, that's what I just put on new. Put on 2 different caps actually. Radiator is 2 years old, flushed it anyway, and cleaned the fins.

I had your issue before, it turned out to be 2 bad thermostats from the parts house. Found out by running without one for a day.
Good luck!

Scott