Kicking around this idea again.
Build a Chunnel...
- Thread starter mamadawn
- Start date
What are you thinking of using the tunnel for?
What a super idea!
I'm pretty committed to free ranging, but only time and predators will tell for sure, so I'm keeping this in mind if l ever need an easy way to connect an additional cheap (ala Joel Salinger) chicken tractor, to my main heavy duty (opposite of Joel Salinger) chicken tractor!
I move my heavy tractor once a week, and that's fine, since they free range every day, and only sleep and lay in my tractor, but if predator pressure ever became too much, I could build a cheap companion tractor like Joel's, to be beside my heavy tractor, connected with an easy to remove tunnel like this, doubling or more, my grazing space.
Since my heavy tractor is predator proof, I'd run any chickens in the cheap tractor back to the heavy tractor each night. However, I would bet the chickens would go back on their own because the roosts are in the heavy tractor.
There's one little thing that comes to my mind after being jogged by this great idea.
What if instead of cutting the hardware cloth in the short four foot direction, you cut the total length you needed off a 50 foot roll of four foot wide, half inch hardware cloth, then rolled it into a circle, in the short four foot direction, the total length you wanted, then use heavy zip ties applied from the outside of this tunnel you've made, every foot or so.
The basic difference is laying out say a 25 length of four foot wide hardware cloth, maybe start at each end, rolling it and keeping it square (easy to see, since its a grid), then working your way toward the center, kind of like rolling a cigarette, if the paper were the wire. That leaves the seam running whatever the length of the tunnel is.
I've had plenty of practice at this little skill, put a sharp kink in the end of the zip tie, push it into the hardware cloth, then lift the zip tie back up, bringing the end of the fish hooked shaped zip tie, up through an adjacent cell of the hardware cloth, grab that end and zip it down.
You could drive a wooden stake or a piece of rebar every ten feet or so, on either side of the tunnel, to keep it from rolling. Although, after attaching it to whatever you're connecting together at either end, depending on the length, perhaps even that wouldn't be necessary.
I'm thinking that would be easier, and make the hardware cloth go further, than making overlap connections every four feet. It would also offer the benefit that the long seam down the length of the tunnel, would have the smooth edges of the uncut hardware cloth. That'll save you the trouble of cutting all those exposed edges at each four foot joint as you had before. Besides that, let's face it, even if you cut the edges flush, you'll still be left with a sharp edge where you cut off the wire.
I also don't think you'd even need to bother keeping the long seam at the top of the tunnel, since it has a smooth edge, and also its pushing outwards, I think the chickens could walk on the seam, if it happened to be on the bottom, no problem.
Just an additional note I found out the hard way. Home Depot has a four foot wide, 25 foot long roll of half inch hardware cloth for $58. I found the same width roll, but TWICE the length, at 50 feet, at AgriSupply for $57. Between covering my entire tractor in hardware cloth, and it's anti-dig mats being covered in it, and covers for big plastic bins to transport the chickens, I used at least four, maybe even five, 50 foot rolls.
How great is that, twice the same wire, for a dollar less!
Here's a link to the AgriSupply web page with the 50 foot, half inch hardware cloth.
http://www.agrisupply.com/in-hardware-cloth-ft-roll-in-x-in-grid/p/32410/
I'm pretty committed to free ranging, but only time and predators will tell for sure, so I'm keeping this in mind if l ever need an easy way to connect an additional cheap (ala Joel Salinger) chicken tractor, to my main heavy duty (opposite of Joel Salinger) chicken tractor!
I move my heavy tractor once a week, and that's fine, since they free range every day, and only sleep and lay in my tractor, but if predator pressure ever became too much, I could build a cheap companion tractor like Joel's, to be beside my heavy tractor, connected with an easy to remove tunnel like this, doubling or more, my grazing space.
Since my heavy tractor is predator proof, I'd run any chickens in the cheap tractor back to the heavy tractor each night. However, I would bet the chickens would go back on their own because the roosts are in the heavy tractor.
There's one little thing that comes to my mind after being jogged by this great idea.
What if instead of cutting the hardware cloth in the short four foot direction, you cut the total length you needed off a 50 foot roll of four foot wide, half inch hardware cloth, then rolled it into a circle, in the short four foot direction, the total length you wanted, then use heavy zip ties applied from the outside of this tunnel you've made, every foot or so.
The basic difference is laying out say a 25 length of four foot wide hardware cloth, maybe start at each end, rolling it and keeping it square (easy to see, since its a grid), then working your way toward the center, kind of like rolling a cigarette, if the paper were the wire. That leaves the seam running whatever the length of the tunnel is.
I've had plenty of practice at this little skill, put a sharp kink in the end of the zip tie, push it into the hardware cloth, then lift the zip tie back up, bringing the end of the fish hooked shaped zip tie, up through an adjacent cell of the hardware cloth, grab that end and zip it down.
You could drive a wooden stake or a piece of rebar every ten feet or so, on either side of the tunnel, to keep it from rolling. Although, after attaching it to whatever you're connecting together at either end, depending on the length, perhaps even that wouldn't be necessary.
I'm thinking that would be easier, and make the hardware cloth go further, than making overlap connections every four feet. It would also offer the benefit that the long seam down the length of the tunnel, would have the smooth edges of the uncut hardware cloth. That'll save you the trouble of cutting all those exposed edges at each four foot joint as you had before. Besides that, let's face it, even if you cut the edges flush, you'll still be left with a sharp edge where you cut off the wire.
I also don't think you'd even need to bother keeping the long seam at the top of the tunnel, since it has a smooth edge, and also its pushing outwards, I think the chickens could walk on the seam, if it happened to be on the bottom, no problem.
Just an additional note I found out the hard way. Home Depot has a four foot wide, 25 foot long roll of half inch hardware cloth for $58. I found the same width roll, but TWICE the length, at 50 feet, at AgriSupply for $57. Between covering my entire tractor in hardware cloth, and it's anti-dig mats being covered in it, and covers for big plastic bins to transport the chickens, I used at least four, maybe even five, 50 foot rolls.
How great is that, twice the same wire, for a dollar less!
Here's a link to the AgriSupply web page with the 50 foot, half inch hardware cloth.
http://www.agrisupply.com/in-hardware-cloth-ft-roll-in-x-in-grid/p/32410/
Last edited:
Great idea, @squadleader . Looks like the OP did this between the buildings. You could even sort of flatten the part that comes into contact with the ground so it is more stable and easy to walk on.
I currently use a very crude tunnel between the coop/run to an outer day time only run under a tree. I'm thinking, in this case, of upgrading, using 4 foot PVC framed sections to I can lift one part up for access with a wheelbarrow, etc. In my case, it does not need to be predator proof (except perhaps hawks during the day), it's mainly just needed to direct the chickens back and forth. Opal, my NN Turken, is demonstrating. They love it!
I currently use a very crude tunnel between the coop/run to an outer day time only run under a tree. I'm thinking, in this case, of upgrading, using 4 foot PVC framed sections to I can lift one part up for access with a wheelbarrow, etc. In my case, it does not need to be predator proof (except perhaps hawks during the day), it's mainly just needed to direct the chickens back and forth. Opal, my NN Turken, is demonstrating. They love it!
I made a lightweight one w bamboo and plastic mesh, zip tied together. Each section is 4' long, fastened together w zip ties. I anchored it w tent stakes. Moved it around weekly. When, a year later, I decided to let them free range, I took the sections apart and used them to protect plants in the garden. The ones I didn't dismantle have lasted 3 years so
far.
Hi Lynne,
Isn't it great, these chickens give us all a chance to channel our inner engineer!
You've got a great setup that's doing a good job of what you need, directing them.
I may be misunderstanding, but I think you're saying you want to be able use the path for a wheelbarrow, but the tunnel is in the way.
If I got that right, looking at your setup, what if you made a flexible elbow at that 90 degree turn, that I see in the photo with the rebar.
Shaping a short stretch, perhaps 12 to 18 inches, of another more flexible material (I'm thinking flexible plastic netting), at the rebar, as it faces the run in the distance. Since you're only using it to direct them, maybe you can keep the connection to that far run, just a simple push the wire tunnel into the run kind of connection. Then when you wanted your walkway clear, just pull out that straight section from the run, and swing it to the right off your walkway.
A short section of flexible netting should hold the shape its attached to at either end. That in essence would create a flexible elbow with the pivot point at the rebar corner. Then just slide the tunnel back into the run when finished using the path.
It's funny, I have six kids, so I've seen lots of different toys, but what comes to my mind, is the collapsible fabric tunnel (maybe 24 inches in diameter, that comes as an accessory to many collapsible fabric play huts for kids, that are maybe four feet square.
Ha, what if you found a couple of those tunnels made out something see thru (vinyl maybe), that you could attach them at either end, and join them when you wanted the birds to use the tunnel. They'd be practically invisible when they were collapsed back against the two coops.
Here's a crazy idea if you think the tunnel is a permanent thing, make it a landscaping feature. Pretend the tunnel is a stream, line plants up along it, then have someone build a little bridge that rises up and spans over the tunnel, so you could take your wheelbarrow back and forth over it, assuming the loads aren't too heavy for the rise of the bridge.
I just spent several hundred dollars of yours, on a ten dollar problem! Haha, the story of my life!
Isn't it great, these chickens give us all a chance to channel our inner engineer!
You've got a great setup that's doing a good job of what you need, directing them.
I may be misunderstanding, but I think you're saying you want to be able use the path for a wheelbarrow, but the tunnel is in the way.
If I got that right, looking at your setup, what if you made a flexible elbow at that 90 degree turn, that I see in the photo with the rebar.
Shaping a short stretch, perhaps 12 to 18 inches, of another more flexible material (I'm thinking flexible plastic netting), at the rebar, as it faces the run in the distance. Since you're only using it to direct them, maybe you can keep the connection to that far run, just a simple push the wire tunnel into the run kind of connection. Then when you wanted your walkway clear, just pull out that straight section from the run, and swing it to the right off your walkway.
A short section of flexible netting should hold the shape its attached to at either end. That in essence would create a flexible elbow with the pivot point at the rebar corner. Then just slide the tunnel back into the run when finished using the path.
It's funny, I have six kids, so I've seen lots of different toys, but what comes to my mind, is the collapsible fabric tunnel (maybe 24 inches in diameter, that comes as an accessory to many collapsible fabric play huts for kids, that are maybe four feet square.
Ha, what if you found a couple of those tunnels made out something see thru (vinyl maybe), that you could attach them at either end, and join them when you wanted the birds to use the tunnel. They'd be practically invisible when they were collapsed back against the two coops.
Here's a crazy idea if you think the tunnel is a permanent thing, make it a landscaping feature. Pretend the tunnel is a stream, line plants up along it, then have someone build a little bridge that rises up and spans over the tunnel, so you could take your wheelbarrow back and forth over it, assuming the loads aren't too heavy for the rise of the bridge.
I just spent several hundred dollars of yours, on a ten dollar problem! Haha, the story of my life!
@squadleader , all excellent ideas! I've thought of the bridge myself.
Since this bridge is kind of rickety, I've held off doing something more permanent/pretty thus far. And I've also toyed with ways to get them to the Tree run along our back fence, etc., but this is simply a much shorter route. I like the bridge idea, and the landscaping!
With the PVC sections, I do know how to make a PVC hinge, so have considered using one of those to lift the moveable section up and secure with a bungee cord.
I have to finish my other projects so I can get a move on with this one!
Since this bridge is kind of rickety, I've held off doing something more permanent/pretty thus far. And I've also toyed with ways to get them to the Tree run along our back fence, etc., but this is simply a much shorter route. I like the bridge idea, and the landscaping!
With the PVC sections, I do know how to make a PVC hinge, so have considered using one of those to lift the moveable section up and secure with a bungee cord.
I have to finish my other projects so I can get a move on with this one!
Kinda thinking about doing the chunnel idea around the garden, if nothing more than to give the girls a chance to snag bug that are trying to get at the veggies. During the warmer months my coop is a tractor and I move it around the yard some to let them get fresh grass and keep the poop from piling up too much in one spot. for fencing around the coop I use 5 foot wide plastic netting that I move around via some PVC stands and pin down the edges with landscaping pins. Kinda thinking that I could do that as well with a Chunnel affect. Just might have to get creative with connecting it with the main pen when I move that around.
Hmmm. I think if you made the chunnel to your moveable coop in sections, perhaps 6 feet long, they could be moved as needed? Connect with zip ties, then snip and reconfigure? For right angle turns, use a short section of flexible garden fencing to make the turn. And maybe the chunnel around the garden would be more permanent, and could have a point of entry/doorway on each side that you could connect to when on that particular side. Interesting idea, definitely needs thinking about!
This thread reminded me of a vid I saw some yrs back lol.
I'd like to have a chunnel around my garden, even fence them in during the winter.
Funny vid
I'd like to have a chunnel around my garden, even fence them in during the winter.
Funny vid
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