MAKING CHICKEN TUNNELS: Protection For The Girls Around My Homestead

[@gypsyrosereadyfortheroad7305]

I love the idea of using hoops. I have never seen those before. Thank you for the great idea. If you were to build another one of these, maybe you would consider using the chicken wire lengthwise. If 36 inches isn’t wide enough to go over the hoop maybe try the 48 inch.

[@TinyDreamer]

I love the hoops too.And I think I could even get bigger hoops, if I wanted bigger tunnels. And you are absolutely correct. I could get bigger chicken wire so that it fits the whole thing. I may or may not remake these for the girls In the spring and summer..... I could also take off the old wiring and put on the new wiring.

[@debbriggs5811]

Thank you, have been looking for a video like this.

[@TinyDreamer]

@debbriggs5811 You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed!

[@LavendarRoses]

LOL at the last blooper. 😂 Tunnels are a good idea for your chickens to feel secure and protected.

[@TinyDreamer]

Haha! Thank you!! I was so frustrated. 😅 I'm so glad they are actually using the tunnels! 😍

[@sterlingmchan9095]

I love this idea!! Thanks for the video.

[@TinyDreamer]

@@sterlingmchan9095 You're welcome! Thanks for watching. 🥰🐔🥚

[@angie22383]

This is EXACTLY what I was looking to do! I want to be able to make sections that I can move around my small backyard for my girls to get some legroom outside their house/run area. Thank you so much for the detailed vid an product list! Amazing!!!

[@TinyDreamer]

You're very welcome!! Glad it was what you were looking for! I had to put my girls inside the coop until I figure out another way to protect them. They enjoy using the tunnels but a fox killed one of my chickens. So I'm thinking of getting an outdoor homestead protection dog.

[@angie22383]

@@TinyDreamer so sorry to hear that, I just lost one to a raccoon 🦝 lil jerks! Only 4 hens left now, debating doubling up in the spring & this idea will help me get them some extra foot space somewhat protected from above and keep them from escaping the yard by their sneaky fence jumping 😂

[@TinyDreamer]

@@angie22383 Thank you. Sorry about your loss, too. 😞 That sounds like a great idea! If you make these, I think they'll be a great fit!

[@markfelambong6353]

💛💚 very nice, I will also try it with my backyard free range chickens.. Thank you!

[@TinyDreamer]

You're welcome! They only protect from hawks. Sadly, a fox killed one of my chickens. Went right into their open coop during the day as they were free ranging. So now I keep them inside. I'll be getting a dog and then I'll let them free range again. I hope these help! I cant wait for mine to free range again so they can get back to using them.

[@markfelambong6353]

@@TinyDreamer 🥹 sorry to hear that

[@TinyDreamer]

@@markfelambong6353 thank you 😞💕

[@Creative22222]

It was great, thank you for your hard work dear friend for this great entertaining movie

[@TinyDreamer]

Thank you for watching! ❤

[@prlranch]

I have a secure coop and covered run but my girls enjoy grass time and I have been looking for a solution for day time use safe from hawks. My guardian alpaca keeps fox and coyotes away. This is a great design! It's the best tutorial I have seen and makes it seem possible for this 70+ woman to tackle. . Even better it can expand with time. Thanks. PS love the bloopers!

[@TinyDreamer]

Awww, thank you for saying so... i love that you found this video tutorial helpful! I also admire that you have alpacas to keep away the fox and coyote. Unfortunately, a fox got one of mine while free ranging but they were in their coop with the door open. So now i have them in their coop and no longer free ranging but the tunnels are all attached to their coop so at least they have a bit if outdoor to roam.

[@Garrettdeth]

This video is super helpful, thank you much!!

[@TinyDreamer]

You're very welcome!! 💕

[@shellymcgrew4412]

Thank you! Excellent!

[@TinyDreamer]

You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed!

[@nowirehangers2815]

What are the green plastic hoops?

[@TinyDreamer]

The green plastic hoops are garden hoops.... amzn.to/3ZKTkJG

[@Hootowls5]

The hawks here in Tennessee are crazy and don't give up easy.

[@TinyDreamer]

Oof, good to know, thank you!! 😞❤

[@loriescobee8839]

Awesome run!

[@TinyDreamer]

Thank you!! 🐓

[@charlottewhite6364]

Where did u get the hoops

[@TinyDreamer]

I got six 12 packs on Amazon amzn.to/3ynOlos

[@مروانالسباحه]

شكرا جزيلا

[@TinyDreamer]

على الرحب والسعة :)

[@janethavis3495]

I'm on the UK. Chicken wire keeps chickens in but won't keep predators out. Foxes can bite through the wire and they can dig under it. I've used plastic zip ties in the past and they get brittle and fail over time. Good luck.

[@TinyDreamer]

Hello, and thanks for your comment! Since this video, a fox killed one of my chickens but it wasnt because of the tunnels. He walked right into their open coop while they were free ranging and he got one. I have since put them back in the coop. Then i formed a long chicken tunnel around their coop and the workshop. So currently, the chickens are enclosed in a metal building where they roost and nest and their outdoor coop is a chain link fence with chicken wire over that and the tunnels that go around the building have iron gates on most of the outside where the stakes go into the ground 10 inches so predators are deterred from digging. Ive only been here a year and im newer to chickens. I plan on redoing their coop in time. Until then, i secure and check it daily.

[@donnamount151]

I have Pyrenees dogs, I live in the mountains of Colorado and at the bottom of a 14,000 ' peak and I have not lost an animal yet...( praise God and dogs) guardian dogs are priceless !!!

[@TinyDreamer]

I wanted to get a great pyrenees dog to protect the Homestead but many comments came in that said from their experience, if I don't have experience with dogs, then a great pyrenees might be too much work. They recommend a livestock guardian dog. So I'm thinking about that instead. I want my hens to free range again.

[@denisemccabe-klein5418]

This is great idea, Im going to try this, I will modify the wire at the bottom, the sharp wire and chicken feet= disaster.

[@TinyDreamer]

Thanks!! Yes, Great idea. I also modified the bottom by putting another strip of chicken wire connected to the bottom piece and then landscape pin into the ground. No more wire!

[@dailynature3712]

great idea- subscribed

[@TinyDreamer]

Thank you and thanks so much for the subscribe! 🤗❤

[@dailynature3712]

@@TinyDreamer you deserve more than this.

[@TashasTouch]

You rock.

[@TinyDreamer]

Aww, thank you! 🙏❤🤗

[@starrylight8819]

Neat idea!

[@TinyDreamer]

Thank you!! 😊❤

[@vanmann8347]

Wow did you take the long way.

[@TinyDreamer]

Live n learn. 🤷‍♀️

[@TaterFarm]

Viewing this video a year later - lol! Can’t thank you enough for posting your how-to!!! Received the rest of my supplies and will be assembling them tomorrow. My tunnels will be in series like yours… but, will be totally enclosed. They will be attached to bigger PVC structures that are covered in hardware cloth, their 5’ tall run and to the side of their hoop coop to provide them more space to roam! I am sooo excited to see how they enjoy it! Fingers crossed…

[@TinyDreamer]

That sounds so amazing! I like the height you're using and the fact that you used pvc piping at the bottom. I ended up connecting and then closing mine off, too because a fox got one of my chickens while free ranging but it went inside the open coop. They werent near any of the tunnels. So i connecred them to the coop wirh an entrance. Now they are semi free ranging. 😊

[@Hootowls5]

Can a hawk or other wild animals still get into the tunnels?

[@TinyDreamer]

Yes..but for some reason, I dont think they'd want to be caught under something like that so they may stay away? I'm hoping..lol. I thought about closing them all the way around and having the chickens roam just inside the tunnels but I also wanted them to be free to roam so instead I left them open.

[@Hootowls5]

@@TinyDreamer I hope they'll feel safer in them, like I mentioned in my previous comment the hawks here in Tennessee will go to great lengths to kill chickens, squirrels, rabbits and other small animals including cats.....

[@TinyDreamer]

@@Hootowls5 😩😞 thank you for the info. That just means I'll have to figure out some more options to help protect. So far, I'm told there are buzzards around here and I'm confusing them with hawks. Then my neighbor said there are 2 hawks living in one of my trees.

[@LavendarRoses]

@@TinyDreamer Your response to another comment makes me think ….maybe adding a roof above in one particular area will help keeping hawks or buzzards from sighting your chickens? So they can roam free and feel secure under the roof with tunnels nearby. Just a thought.

[@TinyDreamer]

@@LavendarRoses yesss!! Thank you! I was thinking about that too....or at least tarps, like the one I have in front for them!

[@starrylight8819]

My friend had a rooster named kung fu ( ironically lol) and he was an attacker too..hence his name lol

[@TinyDreamer]

Haha, that is funny! I love clucky chan. Although I didnt nane him, I now think it fits him perfectly..lol

[@starrylight8819]

@@TinyDreamer totally suits him lol

[@rmd9032]

I don't understand how the chickens are protected if the tunnels are open on both ends.

[@TinyDreamer]

At the time i figured the chickens could run under cover if somerhing was flying at them, like a hawk.

[@carlosperegrin5935]

1:38 to 1:43 is that a raccoon in top of your cabinets?

[@TinyDreamer]

No, that's my cat whisper..she does look like a big old raccoon though. Lol

[@donnamount151]

Take a broom out with u

[@wowyummyyy]

👍 👍 👍 👍 👍👍👍👍💖💖💖💖💖🙉🙉 🙉 🙉 🙉 🙉

[@TinyDreamer]

Haha, thank you!!

[@melodeeplath8002]

Zip ties