Chicken chunnels are a great option for a gardener with chickens. Here’s our setup, including the chicken coop, chicken run, and chicken tunnels around two sides of our large garden area. Chickens are great for weed control and pest control for our gardens, and here’s a way to help them work for you while keeping them safe. Plus, chunnels are a perfect way to “free range” chickens without the risk of actually free ranging them or the daily effort of moving chickens daily with a chicken tractor. Win-win for the time-strapped gardener!
More resources:
Beginner’s Garden Podcast Episodes (and blog posts) on Chickens in the Garden —
A Gardener’s Guide to Getting Started with Chickens: https://journeywithjill.net/gardening/2019/11/11/gardeners-guide-to-getting-started-with-chickens/
Gardening with Chickens: How to Use Your Flock for Manure, Natural Tilling, Pest Control, and More: https://journeywithjill.net/gardening/2021/03/30/gardening-with-chickens-how-to-use-your-flock-for-manure-natural-tilling-pest-control-and-more/
Did you have hamsters and a Habit Trail when you were a kid?
This is amazing! Thank you!
I have had immense success fighting grasshoppers using guinea hens in combination with turkeys to patrol my garden and yards. Dont try too run guineas alone. They are impossible to manage that way. But when using turkeys, you can protect them from predators that typically strike during evening hours. The guineas dont want to be alone. When you herd the turkeys into the coop at night, the guineas will follow them in.
We have had problems with mink and dogs running amuck.
Good luck!
Now I've seen everything! Chicken tunnels!! lol. Why is owning chicken in western culture more of an ordeal than a pleasure?! lol
Great video! Love you chicken tunnels! I've never had those I garden the way my Mama taught me. Our chickens free range with me every evening after work in warm weather, about 8 months out of the year where i live. I work in the garden and they scratch and peck at the bugs and weeds I throw them. I have a combination of raised beds, some gravel in between and ground plantings. My method is to put up chicken wire when everything is getting started. Everthing gets it…in the ground and on top of the raised beds and the chickens learn this area is off limits with discouraging hand claps and shooing as well. When I take down the chicken wire 2-3 weeks later they pretty much leave everything alone. If they come near the plants I give them the Southern Mama "AANNT" and they turn right around. This training time is worth it because they really keep bug/pest populations in check. Bugs are more destructive. I have some stumps, perches for them too in the garden. I also have 3 compost piles on the ground that they love. They turn it for me and get lots of worms as a treat and added bonus for me they add some chicken poo to the compost. Chickens can be in the garden free ranging successfully you just have to set boundaries with them. Just like with EVERTHING, without boundaries destruction will follow.
love the chicken tunnels. great idea. Hope you don't mind if I use it.
That’s awesome. Thanks for the info.
Nice! Save yourself some money and use your dried grass clippings and fall leaves for bedding.
Rabbits are predators??
Nice setup! You're hubby looks like a good carpenter.
I suppose you could call it free range but its not really. I do like the idea but I like my chickens to get freedom and plenty of bugs and such so mine actually do free range daily no cages no fence. Yes I lose a few a year but chickens are a dime a dozen Id rather lose a few and give them 100% freedom to range.
great idea thank you..
really good idea thank you for sharing
The tunnel is such a great idea!
Hey, hi. I stopped watching your video when you showed yourself lifting the top of the hen laying area to gather eggs. The natural instinct of chickens is to be afraid of predators from above…. you probably didn't know it, but you really frightened your chickens. Change your doors so that you can reach "in", rather than reaching from "above". Thank you…. I got a note from the chickens and they wanted me to forward it.
I am going to do this! What a fantastic idea. Thank you.
Love this! Thanks for sharing, your furry and feathered babes look so loved.. and your garden. Obviously your love shines brightly.
Very cool, great idea. Just don't use pressure treated around animals, or for garden beds.
OMG, awesome chicken tunnels!! Love it!
I enjoyed your video and I subscribed. Blessing and love from Helen in Ga.
What a great video. Loved it.
Great idea. I love it. My next project is tunnels, yay.
Good idea for temporary grazing. Have considered that in my garden as well, But overall I prefer them to roam around in yard and pasture where they have more to eat. I do have to fence around my tomatoes cause that is their favorite. I would have one main concern which is the barrel of water just filling once or twice a year? I don't like that idea. I am not sure that is healthy for them not having fresh water at least weekly.
What a terrific idea!
Hi firs time subscriber, cool informative inspirational video. unfortunately we do not have such large are and your a very lucky. i need to get some tips from you and shall write to you later
"Freeranging" in a two-chicken-wide tunnel. That's some good comedy right there.
1. Love the idea of chicken tunnels! Will be employing this if/when I get to chicken raising in the next year or 2.
2. Those hens were like "Can you put that top down please. Thank youuuuu."
3. Your hair looks so healthy and good, it could be in a shampoo commercial.
Careful of minks. They killed half our chicken flock 6 chickens and all of our 5 ducks. Hardware mesh is the only thing that can stop them.