Looking for ideas for Chunnel about 50' long. Also, ideas to keep hawks out...

[johndeerelover]

We have had a problem with a hawk lately. We live in a pretty urban area that is within 200' of large farm fields. I am looking for photos of Chunnel's or chicken "tunnels" that can be used for the chickens to get to a compost pile about 50 feet away from their coop/run. Please share any photos you have!

 

[perkolator]

Why not just make a new compost pile inside their run, or deep litter the whole thing and treat it like a giant compost pile?

 

[johndeerelover]

Why not just make a new compost pile inside their run, or deep litter the whole thing and treat it like a giant compost pile?

That's a good idea. I should have explained more.... We have a lot of oak trees on our property so the compost area is probably 15x20 feet. We back a garden tractor in with a large leave bin on the back. It works well as the chickens kick around and turn it into mulch/soil by the following fall. There are trees and bushes between the coop and compost pile so I couldn't get the tractor in there.

 

[odchooks]

Have you started the chunnels yet? I have chunnels that go the perimeter of my backyard to a sandbox and then to a PVC garden enclosure for when I want them to do some cleanup. It is just fencing that is bent into an arch about 2 feet high and anchored with garden staples and connected with zip ties. Super easy to make. Hawkproof but not resistant to other predators so it is connected to an automatic door on the coop that closes at night. They spend more time in the chunnel than anywhere else. They especially like it in the summer because it allows them to track the shade in the yard throughout the day.

 

[aart]

Have you started the chunnels yet? I have chunnels that go the perimeter of my backyard to a sandbox and then to a PVC garden enclosure for when I want them to do some cleanup. It is just fencing that is bent into an arch about 2 feet high and anchored with garden staples and connected with zip ties. Super easy to make. Hawkproof but not resistant to other predators so it is connected to an automatic door on the coop that closes at night. They spend more time in the chunnel than anywhere else. They especially like it in the summer because it allows them to track the shade in the yard throughout the day.

This sounds amazing....any chance for some pics of it's path and construction?

 

[RoyalChick]

This sounds amazing....any chance for some pics of it's path and construction?

Yes. @odchooks I would love to see photos of that too.

 

[odchooks]

Ok here are some pics of the coop and garden enclosure connected by tunnel. The tunnel is attached to the back of the coop/run with an autodoor. It runs along a fence to a shaded sand box. Then turns a corner and runs to the PVC garden enclosure. Jus welded wire fencing arched and connected with cable ties.

 

[odchooks]

Chunnels are super easy and cheap and even if it's a tunnel leading to nowhere my chickens enjoy hanging out in them most of the day- and I feel less bad keeping them cooped up during the day. Even in the rain they are tromping through the tunnels looking for bugs.

 

[my spoiled chickens]

I saw someone using a bunch of rope or fishing line hanging over where your chickens roam also (I've never tried this) but maybe put an owl statue to scare the hawks off we use this in our hayloft and it scares the nuisance birds away

 

[my spoiled chickens]

I saw someone using a bunch of rope or fishing line hanging over where your chickens roam also (I've never tried this) but maybe put an owl statue to scare the hawks off we use this in our hayloft and it scares the nuisance birds away

For the hawks btw