Anyone have experience with chunnels (chicken tunnels)?

[historyinthemakingdg]

Hello there!

I've been researching coops/run construction on a future farm and I was wondering if anyone has any advice when making chunnels. I want to have a rather large chicken run with chunnels going throughout my farm to various areas. It feels safer than just letting them free range. I would likely construct them with bamboo and chicken wire.

Basically what should I know about building these?

Thank you!

 

[thecatumbrella]

I've never built a chunnel, but I've had this bookmark saved for when I eventually attempt it. The author used irrigation tubing and hardware cloth.

Just beware, if you're intending to use chicken wire, the tunnels will not be predator proof. To be fair, neither will the ones in the link I shared (depending on the size of the predator), but it's an improvement. Chicken wire has large gaps and is easily chewed through. Hardware cloth is much tougher and would need to be peeled away to get access to the birds.

 

[historyinthemakingdg]

I've never built a chunnel, but I've had this bookmark saved for when I eventually attempt it. The author used irrigation tubing and hardware cloth.

Just beware, if you're intending to use chicken wire, the tunnels will not be predator proof. To be fair, neither will the ones in the link I shared (depending on the size of the predator), but it's an improvement. Chicken wire has large gaps and is easily chewed through. Hardware cloth is much tougher and would need to be peeled away to get access to the birds.

It's more for safety from daytime predators like hawks, I would plan to be able to close them at night. As far I am aware, most smaller predators that would be able to get in are nocturnal. Also I would plan to use hardware cloth, sometimes I mix the terms.

 

[Shadrach]

Hello there!

I've been researching coops/run construction on a future farm and I was wondering if anyone has any advice when making chunnels. I want to have a rather large chicken run with chunnels going throughout my farm to various areas. It feels safer than just letting them free range. I would likely construct them with bamboo and chicken wire.

Basically what should I know about building these?

Thank you!

These chunnels, they're going to be semi permanent?
As catumbrella mentions predator resistance should be your prime consideration. Having some idea of the local predators will be helpful. Dog proof at least is what I would be looking at. An unfortunate truth is most people lose chickens to predators eventually.
So, bamboo and chicken wire is off the options list. It's also a pain to put up so it stays up. I use bamboo framed chicken wire to protect delicate crops at the field I grow veg and keep chickens at. A dog would tear one to shred in seconds.

This for example would give you 30m of tunnel wide enough and tall enough to let a couple of mid sized chickens along side by side. You can stake this to the ground and make it reasonably push proof.

https://www.weld-mesh.com/welded-mesh/10004-galvanised-weld-mesh-1-2-x-1-2-19g-4ft-x-30m

Something like the above, the link should give you an idea of the range and the cost. If you are thinking of hundreds of metres it's going to cost a fair bit.

 

[historyinthemakingdg]

These chunnels, they're going to be semi permanent?
As catumbrella mentions predator resistance should be your prime consideration. Having some idea of the local predators will be helpful. Dog proof at least is what I would be looking at. An unfortunate truth is most people lose chickens to predators eventually.
So, bamboo and chicken wire is off the options list. It's also a pain to put up so it stays up. I use bamboo framed chicken wire to protect delicate crops at the field I grow veg and keep chickens at. A dog would tear one to shred in seconds.

This for example would give you 30m of tunnel wide enough and tall enough to let a couple of mid sized chickens along side by side. You can stake this to the ground and make it reasonably push proof.

https://www.weld-mesh.com/welded-mesh/10004-galvanised-weld-mesh-1-2-x-1-2-19g-4ft-x-30m

Something like the above, the link should give you an idea of the range and the cost. If you are thinking of hundreds of metres it's going to cost a fair bit

All fair points, I was planning on natural protection along the barrier of the chunnel with thorny plants for little devils. Besides that, I would run an electrical line around the coop area at very least if not the larger area. This is for South Florida so there are small black bears that require electrical fencing so that will be a must. The chunnels would primarily be protection from aerial threats like hawks. There are things like bobcats and coyotes that are potential threats though. However I feel that it's still safer than fully free ranging them.

The only reason I suggest bamboo is because it is a material that I can grow abundantly. However you're right that I should probably use galvanized steel or rebar and hardware cloth instead.

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

Hello there!

I've been researching coops/run construction on a future farm and I was wondering if anyone has any advice when making chunnels. I want to have a rather large chicken run with chunnels going throughout my farm to various areas. It feels safer than just letting them free range. I would likely construct them with bamboo and chicken wire.

Basically what should I know about building these?

Thank you!

Whatever you use, be sure it’s sturdy. Twice I worked with a material that was similar to netting/ string, and twice I came home just soon enough to narrowly avoid a strangled bird. The first time I thought it was a weird freak accident, but the second time I realized that the more flexible the material, the more dangerous it is when one or two inevitably follow you out the door, then try to get back in by walking over the net. Twister was actually almost stabbed to death, ‘cause she ripped the metal tent peg out of the ground, but still couldn’t fit through the hole and then got wrapped in the net ON TOP OF THE SPIKE.

So yeah, use material that can support multiple birds worth of weight, and don’t use loose deer netting.

 

[rabifaf]

Hello. I’m daydreaming about my ideal greenhouse and imagining chickens patrolling the perimeter through tunnels. What dimensions should a chicken tunnel have to give them enough room to scratch comfortably?