Let’s talk Chicken Tunnel! Not everyone can let their chicken free range, even though we might want to but we physically can’t due to city code, predators, crazy neighbors & the list can go on. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still give your chickens some room to explore in the yard. For me the chicken tunnel connects my coop to my run, it also allows my girls to get out in the sun, be on the grass & have a change of environment. The cool thing about the chicken tunnel is you can move it around, it’s easy to adjust side to side so then you can rotate it to fresh grass.
This might seem like a big project but it’s not! It requires a few things and some tedious time with a lot of zip ties. Not only does this allow your chickens to get out of their run, but it also gives you an extra 50 ft x 1 ft of room for them! That means you can get more chickens 😂 (okay.. well maybe that’s what I tell myself but you should always have enough space per chicken so they aren’t crowded but this is a great way to add on extra space for half the cost)
What you’ll need:
- 50-ft × 6-ft Black Steel Welded Wire Rolled
Fencing with Mesh Size 2-in x 3-in
- 400 zip ties
- a piece of wood
- hammer
- wire cutter
& that’s it! If you find the best price on everything this could be less than $200 for an additional 50 ft for your chickens! That’s a pretty good bargain 😉
This welded fence isn’t predator proof so I recommend attaching it to a door where you can open and close it so predators don’t get into your main run or coop area at night. This might not work for everyone depending on what type of predators you have in your area but for me, my main predators are stray dogs & hawks. I haven’t had an issue since I started using this welded wire fence. I love it! Not only do I use it for my chicken tunnel, but I also use it for my entire run area too!
Join the chicken tunnel fun! 🌱
How to make it:
- roll out fence where it is flat
- take your piece of wood and lay it 5 spaces back
- bend the short end up to the sky
- hammer the edge creating an angel with the wood piece
- repeat all the way down, moving the wood along
- take the bigger side and fold it over to meet the shorter end
- the shorter end piece will be the floor where the chickens walk & the longer side will be the arch where the tunnel is formed
- connect the end pieces with zip ties
- continue to go all the way down connecting the two side pieces together with zip ties until it is completely connected
- cut off zip tie ends
- then form the chicken tunnel any way you want!
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