Last year, one of our garden renters built her own chicken tunnel.
The chicken tunnel was a HUGE success—and we think you’ll benefit from adding your own chicken tunnel to your garden, too.
But first…
What is a chicken tunnel?
A chicken tunnel—or “chunnel” as some folks call it—might sound like a chicken bunker, but it’s not.
It is a narrow, enclosed wire run built around the perimeter of your garden to allow your chickens space to explore while keeping them safe from birds of prey and other predators.
In this video, you can see how our garden renter set up her chicken tunnel.
What are the benefits of a chicken tunnel in your garden?
Chickens are opportunistic omnivores, meaning they’ll eat just about anything, with little discretion. That’s a win for your garden, as their palettes are inclined toward many of the insects that plague produce, making the cluckers natural forms of pest control in your garden. Blackfly, caterpillars, grasshoppers, ticks, aphids, spiders and termites are all targets for these hungry beaks.
Additionally, they will peck at those pesky weeds (yep, chickens love a good weedy snack, too) cutting down weeding time for you.
But it’s not just your garden that benefits—your chickens do, too.
Having more room to spread out—without worrying about predators being able to get to them—makes for happy, healthy chickens. And happy, healthy chickens produce tastier eggs!
How do you build your own?
Making your own chicken tunnels is a simple project that will save you time—and help your garden thrive—in the long run.
For this project, you’ll need wire and zip/wire/cable ties.
Keep in mind… you’ll need wire that is durable enough to protect against predators. In the video example below, he uses 14-gauge fencing wire, which is sturdy enough to do the trick.
In the video below, he uses his chicken tunnel to allow his chickens to access and roam the garden freely. You may want to just set up your own tunnel around the perimeter of your garden without giving them access to the garden itself. Either way, the building concept is the same.
RELATED READING:
- So You Want to Raise Chickens?
- 5 Ways to Sustainably Prevent & Remove Weeds from Your Garden
- Pesticide-Free Garden Protection: 12 Beneficial Insects to Control Pests
