California-Southern

[sol2go]

I have a chicken tunnel. It runs from my coop that's half way up my hill to my side yard where they have a big run area. They even have an 8' section where they go under ground; under the gate to the side yard area. They all (9 chickens) do it well. We have had a raccoon that's attacked and killed one chicken through the tunnel. But he's been back and the chickens have wised up to him. They now know where to hide. Also a bob cat scratched one of my chickens pretty bad through the tunnel, but it got away and that chicken made a full recovery. It's not the most secure, but none of the predators have been able to break the tunnel. They have just reached into the tunnel.
It's been what we needed as the coop needed to be where it was, but the area for the run we wanted closer to our house.

Adding to the chunnel convo -

That is great that the chunnel has provided some measure of safety. Where the attacks in the daytime?
I have found shade cloth over the wire will slow down a predator that is trying to reach in.

A small flock in Sonoma also has an underground tunnel to get from their large coop to an enclosed play area which encompasses a tree. Watching them emerge into the play area was like a cartoon clip of circus chickens - they popped-up like they were tossed from a toaster. Mesmerizing and hysterical at the same time.

My flock has chunnels for hawk protection. It snakes around the orchard in open areas to provide quick cover. The tunnel is covered on the top and sides with stucco, poultry or aviary wire (depending what I have on hand), but stops short of the ground so the chickens can pop in there at any point. The long segments have become part of a "trail" system that the chickens have adopted.

The chunnels are 3 to 5 feet wide, utilizing a hoop system common to gardens: white pvc irrigation pipe makes an arc that slips over rebar which has been pounded into the ground; the wire is zip tied to the hoops.

 

[yellowblack]

Can I join?"I am from socal too.. the san gabriel valley area. I feel left out u peeps have a very long convo already. I have chickens.

Anyone from my area?
I have a polish hen chick I'd love to trade to a whiter polish hen cus I figured that I won't be liking black and white! Thanks! <3whiteee

 

[Sylvester017]

Can I join?"I am from socal too.. the san gabriel valley area. I feel left out u peeps have a very long convo already. I have chickens.
Anyone from my area?
I have a polish hen chick I'd love to trade to a whiter polish hen cus I figured that I won't be liking black and white! Thanks! <3whiteee

Yep, East SGV here! But I follow the Northern Calif thread as well cuz we have vacation property up North too.

 

[yellowblack]

That's so cool it's like 1:40am now and we california are still awake. I really want to get a bobwhite quail do you know where I could get one around my area :,((

 

[niqueie]

That's a great suggestion to use shade cloth. I hadn't thought of it. It is funny to watch them pop out of the underground tunnel.

The attacks did happen in the daytime. The raccoon killed when we were out of town. I came back that night, late, to half my chickens in the coop. My dead chicken near the coop in the tunnel, and then the rest of my chickens in my more secure side yard terrified. So the raccoon killed as they were headed back to the coop at bedtime. ( I have an automatic door that closes at sundown -ie light sensitivity.) They always all go to the coop pretty early. Long before the door closes. Sneaky terrible raccoons.

The bobcat was in the morning around 7:30. He came around a lot for a while. I think he's given up somewhat. My chicken just got scratched by him, and made a full recovery about 5 months ago. It seems that predators attack more in the fall around here.

After each attack we added more security measures to the tunnel to make it more secure but it's not as secure to be called predator-proof. But I've had chickens in it for 2 years and we've had one death.

We used to have a very secure (I'd say predator proof run and coop but had issues with the city and had to relocate our coop. Which is a very long story. Our coop is now a lot closer to our home and neighbors, still 50+' away though. but it's nice to have the chickies closer. We get fun chicken time with them much easier.
I'll post some pictures of the Chunnel.

 

[perchie.girl]

That's a great suggestion to use shade cloth. I hadn't thought of it. It is funny to watch them pop out of the underground tunnel.

The attacks did happen in the daytime. The raccoon killed when we were out of town. I came back that night, late, to half my chickens in the coop. My dead chicken near the coop in the tunnel, and then the rest of my chickens in my more secure side yard terrified. So the raccoon killed as they were headed back to the coop at bedtime. ( I have an automatic door that closes at sundown -ie light sensitivity.) They always all go to the coop pretty early. Long before the door closes. Sneaky terrible raccoons.

The bobcat was in the morning around 7:30. He came around a lot for a while. I think he's given up somewhat. My chicken just got scratched by him, and made a full recovery about 5 months ago. It seems that predators attack more in the fall around here.

After each attack we added more security measures to the tunnel to make it more secure but it's not as secure to be called predator-proof. But I've had chickens in it for 2 years and we've had one death.

We used to have a very secure (I'd say predator proof run and coop but had issues with the city and had to relocate our coop. Which is a very long story. Our coop is now a lot closer to our home and neighbors, still 50+' away though. but it's nice to have the chickies closer. We get fun chicken time with them much easier.
I'll post some pictures of the Chunnel.

I am in the High desert back country and your losses describe my losses..... and fortifications. I gave up about four years ago Circumstances.... actually a cascade failure had coytotes wiping out the whole flock and the goats.... Surprisingly even though I have a high raptor popuplation the Ravens seem to claim my territory... Possibly because I fed them extra eggs.

I am planninng on chunnels for other reason. Free ranging is out of the question My back yard is big but the allotment for ranging is oddly shaped. But with chunnels I can give each breed their own ranging area... EVEN the goats. Little reprobates

So if its goats would it be a goatel.... er tunnelgoat.... Oh heck Chute.... with a lid.

deb

 

[sol2go]

@perchie.girl I just noticed you changed your avatar (probably a long time ago...) Is that your creation?

 

[perchie.girl]

@perchie.girl I just noticed you changed your avatar (probably a long time ago...) Is that your creation?

yep

actually I change it quite often

 

[FarmerJohn5626]

I live in Pomona and This is my run, I have 7 Barred Rocks, 2 New Hampshire Reds, 2 Ameraucanas, 1 Cayuga Duck, & 1 Pekin Duck, 1 Labrador Retriever, 1 Siberian Husky, and 3 kids lol . I converted half my shed into a coop and I let them out into a secured yard daily. The dogs are not trusted around my flock

 

[FarmerJohn5626]

I removed the run brooder and replaced it with a pond for the ducks and yes I brood in the run so they learn life skills and social structure from the get go