Providing a safe area for our chickens to run has always been our goal. We live on a small lot in the center of town and there are plenty of hawks, racoons, and foxes in the area. Free ranging is not an option for us. Below are photos of the second faze of the "chunnel" I created. Read other posts to see more photos. 

Phase 1: To the left of the coop is 50' of chunnel. I built it in 3 foot sections. The design is different in some sections as I adapted it to try out a few ideas. The first sections open bottom with 18 inch flanges that are burried in the ground with stones on top. Then I tried sections that are completely enclosed with a flat bottom. The open bottom allows the chickens to peck, dig and make dust baths. The enclosed bottom is good for areas that I can't dig down in.  Post w/details

Phase 2: The second faze of the project leads out the right side of the coop. The 30 ft of run has the enclosed bottom. It is located on a hard packed surface that isn't good for digging into. This chunnel goes out to a 4X8 enclosure with an open bottom. I made a hatch at the top so I can open and drop leaves and compost into. The bottom is open and allows for lots of digging around. 

Winter/Snow: We've had one winter with the left side and all went well. The sprinkler tubing is pretty stable and the 3 foot sections held the snow without colapsing. If you are concerned, add another arch or two to suppor the snow. I did cover 20ft of the run but wont bother doing that next year. My chickens did not mind walking in the snow. I did sprinkle shavings over the snow if it was really cold. The really liked that and would then walk out there no problem. The shavings add to the compost that the chickens make throughout the season. 

Cleaning: Later I added hatches to allow me to add in compost or other treats for them to enjoy. I have never needed to clean out the chunnel. I just add in leaves and the chickens kick and peck them to clean up the runs.

The "chunnel" is now 50 feet long and offers a safe run along the back of the garden. This early snow formed a nice crust and offered some shelter from October cold. Later, I covered the first 20 feet of the chunnel with plastic. The chickens love to nap in the covered chunnel during the day and venture out to the uncovered portion for some fresh air and sunshine. 
We do not heat the coop. The chickens will develop fuller feathers as they acclimate to the colder temperatures. We did wrap the attached run to block the winter winds. I attached the tarp with small bungee cords that allow me to lower the tarp on sunny days and allow fresh air into the run. It also helps to dry out the sand if it gets wet from any blown in snow. 

One Saturday morning in June of 2020 I set out to buy 6 baby chicks and came home 8 baby chicks. How did that happen you might ask. While I was at the store, I called a good friend who has had many years of experience with chickens. I asked her opinion on the two breeds available-Plymouth Barred Rock and Silver Laced Wyandotte. She gave the thumbs up on both and then convinced me to get 4 of each. "Just in case a few die or you get roosters mixed in". Sounded smart to me! So I headed home with 4 of each breed, a waterer, a feeder, and some feed. I was all set to go. 

The chunnel under the snow. We will be covering the chunnel with a clear tarp for the winter. This late October snow caught us by surprise. Before the snow melted the chickens enjoyed the snow cover.

Total 50' long x 18" high
​Section-3' long x 18" high 


3’ sections w/ tubing for support and 12” flange on each side for predator proofing.

1. Cut the 3' tall hardware cloth 72” long for each Chunnel section
2. Fold the 3' sides up 12” to create predator proof flanges on each side.
3. Cut three 52” lengths of tubing for each section-this will provide one each end and in the middle of each section. 
4. Zip tie the tubing to the section; one at each end and one in the center. 
5. Zip tie each section together. 
6. We dug down into the soil and staked the Chunnel down with 6” landscape pins. We covered the flange with stone and soil. 
7. Create an end cap using wire and zip ties to close it off.

Coop
     5x7-full height interior
     Open sofitts for venting-covered with 1/2 hardware cloth-black pvc coated
     2 nesting boxes inside coop with drop down door on the exterior-Nesting box pads
     2 2x4 roosting bars
     Poop bench below-covered with clear plastic shelving liner for easy clean up
     Automatic door
     Heated 6 gallon waterer
     Gravity feeder
     Sand on floor-construction sand 4-6 inches deep
     Black pvc coated 1/2 inch 3' x 100 ' hardware cloth-buried 18" deep on all sides of the coop

Run
     5x7 space
     Black pvc coated 1/2 inch 3' x 100 ' hardware cloth-buried 18" deep on all sides of the run. 
     

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