A good chicken coop is one that provides shelter, roosting space, outdoor run, and nesting area under one roof. This is why modern hen houses have a spacious run on the ground floor and a fun ramp that leads to the shelter.
If you’re new to raising chickens, it’s okay to have confusion about coop size, ventilation, material quality, and lighting.
We can help! In today’s article, we are reviewing six high-quality chicken coops on a reasonable budget. You can pick the best chicken coop that fits your flock size, backyard space, and chicken breed.
Besides, we put together a comprehensive chicken coop buying guide and FAQ section for new chicken keepers. Let’s get started, shall we?
6 Best Chicken Coop Reviews
We picked six chicken coops that we know will keep your flock happy. The coops were thoroughly researched so that your backyard chickens can thrive in them. So, whether you’re looking for a large chicken coop or small, you’ll find a suitable hen house right here! Have a look.
1. Best Choice Products 80in. Outdoor Wooden Chicken Coop
This is a multi-level coop with a shaded run, ramp access, and a nesting box. It’s the perfect coop for raising chickens in your backyard. The structure is made of wood, and the netting is galvanized wire mesh for security.
Our first pick is the Best Choice Product’s outdoor chicken coop. With a sturdy wooden frame, mesh net, and window, this is the best backyard chicken coop.
It’s surrounded by mesh fencing that keeps predators away and lets your flock enjoy some outdoor time. We also liked its large nesting box with a removable partition for eggs and chicks.
The chicken coop is the ideal size for backyards. It measures 79.25″ (L)× 26.5″ (W)× 51.5 (H) and gives your flock a comfortable space for their activities. It’s a tall coop, so there is adequate space for air circulation, sunlight, and shade.
It comes with a spacious chicken run where your flock can forage for food, get some exercise or sunbathe during the winter. Backyard chickens need to feel happy and productive to stay healthy. With the latest addition of a wooden ramp, this coop is now a shelter and a playhouse for your precious chickens!
You can access every part of the coop with ease. It holds about 3 to 5 chickens and has a divider so that you can separate the nesting box. The door closes with a sturdy latch. There’s enough protection at all sides of the cage to prevent the chicks from running free.
Pros
Cons
Verdict
If you’re looking for an all-in-one chicken coop, you’ll be satisfied with this poultry cage. We liked its durable construction but most of all the sliding window and the ramp. Chicken keepers with a flock size of 3 to 5 will find this chicken coop a good buy.
2. Polar Aurora Walk-in Poultry Cage
The Polar Aurora poultry cage is a good fit for those who want to have their own chicken coop. It’s very roomy without jumbo wooden panels blocking the view!
A portion of the chicken run is covered with a UV-resistant 210D Oxford cover. It gives shade to your pullets, chicks, and cockerels.
The entire frame is made of a 1.25″ diameter steel tube. Polar Aurora designed the door with a strong latch for safety. The galvanized frame can resist rust, fading, and corrosion. Since it doesn’t use any wood, it can protect your chickens from mites.
Overall, this wooden chicken coop is a game-changer for backyard chicken keepers. There’s no scarcity of sunlight, shade, and ventilation. It holds a large flock of white leghorns, Orpingtons, and Rhode Island Reds.
As the best large chicken coop, the poultry cage covers a 10″ × 18.4″ area. The installation takes about twenty minutes. Once you’re finished, you can move the chicken coop kit to another place if you like.
The mesh wiring, links, and the frame itself won’t budge in strong winds. You can alternatively use the cage for ducks, cats, and rabbits. We also liked the lockable door with strong latches and wire ties. Lastly, the walk-in poultry cage is available in three different widths – 6.2″, 12.5″, and 18.4″. It comes in handy when you don’t want an army of chickens pecking at your garden all day long.
Pros
Cons
Verdict
The Polar Aurora coop has a spacious run for up to six hens or more. It can be a safe space for your free-ranging hens to adjust to living in an enclosure. The cage comes without a roosting area, so if that’s something you wanted, you have to look at other options.
3. Petsfit Weatherproof Outdoor Chicken Coop with Nesting Box
Tired of using straw, foam, and pine shavings to wick moisture away from your coop? In that case, the Petsfit chicken coop will be a suitable option. It’s made of 100% solid fir wood– a wood that is the most resistant to rainstorms and wind.
It’s complete with roomy nesting boxes and an immaculate 71.6-inch run. The coop holds about 5 adult Plymouth Rocks, and the nest is ideal for two egg-laying chickens. It’s a secure coop protected by 1.2-inch-thick galvanized walls.
The henhouse comes with five easy-access points for cleaning the large coop. The removable droppings tray slides out for cleaning. Its fir wood structure is made of high-quality panels.
Nowadays, most coops have this feature but what’s unique about the Petsfit coop is its painted hinged roof and interior.
The eco-friendly white paint reflects light so that there is enough heat inside the hen house in winter. The nesting space can be opened with a lid for collecting eggs.
One part of the run is under the coop, and the taller part gets all the sun. The chicken run is 23 inches wide and 29.5 inches tall, and the roosting area is 14.3 inches from the ground. This is ideal to keep your birds healthy.
Pros
Cons
Verdict
The Petsfit Weatherproof Chicken Coop is the best chicken coop for the backyard. It’s the right-size coop for raising a flock of five chickens. We liked its layout and the fact that you can access it from five areas. The locks are high-quality, and the overall fir wood construction is quite durable.
4. GUTINNEEN Chicken Coop with Run
You want a chicken coop that you can use for years without replacing its lock, mesh net, and panels. Don’t we all? While some coops are a huge waste of money, the Gutinneen coop is all about high-strength wooden panels, big windows, and locks.
It contains a predator-resistant latch that keeps your flock safe from other animals. There’s a sliding door to the sleeping area that you can close and lock for the night. If you have a flock of three chickens, you have nothing to worry about.
The 6.12 square feet sleeping area comes with a netted sliding window for ventilation.
This Gutinneen hen house is the best-rated chicken coop, according to the customers. Most chicken keepers prefer this hen house to others because one- the construction is top-notch, and two- the run extends to the nesting box and supports it from below.
If you need to move the coop outdoors to indoors, this is a poultry cage with wheels that you can consider. A portable chicken coop is your best option when the weather is bad, or there isn’t enough sunlight in your backyard.
Pros
Cons
Verdict
It’s the best portable chicken coop that comes with a spacious run and sleeping area. The 12′ × 6′ run is large enough for a flock of four Delawares. You can easily move the sturdy coop with the help of its high-quality wheels. The two rounded perches allow chickens to grab onto them and sleep on a raised platform.
5. Good Life Two Floors 62″ Outdoor Hen House
Made from premium fir wood and metal grids, this outdoor hen house is everything you need to keep your flock safe. The upper house measures 27.5″ ×18″, which means you can accommodate three brown chickens easily.
The chicken run is much bigger in comparison to the roosting space. It runs 62 inches long and 21 inches wide. The coop is surrounded by mesh wire walls so that your chickens can forage in the sun and stay safe from outside threats.
On top of that, a wooden ramp travels down to the chicken run. You can hang a chicken water feeder from the netted roof.
Its waterproof roof can provide good protection against rain, snowfall, and storm. The Good Life chicken coop is it’s one of the best chicken coops. You can easily winterize the coop by putting up foam boards on the sides. But we doubt it will be necessary.
The coop gives both you and your flock a good time by ensuring safety and cleanliness. The bottom tray is made of plastic so that droppings don’t stick to the tray. Plus, the cage is also suitable for 3-4 Guinea pigs or 2-3 rabbits.
Pros
Cons
Verdict
It’s a well-built coop with great features for backyard chicken-keeping. You can call it the best small chicken coop, and you won’t be wrong. The only downside is that it comes without a nesting area. Unless you provide a box for your pullets, the coop is only suitable for meat-producing chickens.
6. OverEZ Large Chicken Coop for 15 Chickens with Nesting Box
This one is a huge chicken coop with five nesting boxes. The entire house is made of wooden panels that keep out the cold, wind, and rain. It’s a good-looking chicken coop with windows similar to a person’s home.
Chicken coops come in all shapes and sizes. But the right one will ensure that your chickens have a comfy shelter and you have an easy time managing them. That said, this wooden chicken coop is the largest coop on our list.
It’s fully equipped with the must-have coop features such as multiple nesting boxes, roosting perches, and windows!
The coop doesn’t include a chicken run but compensates with a bigger living space. Free-ranging chicks will love the shelter as it keeps them warm at night. But if your chickens don’t free-range, keep your flock size to ten.
Moving forward, the coop provides two vents, and two screened windows. There is one main door and two roosting perches inside.
We think it’s the best chicken coop for winter. For one, the coop rests on a raised platform to escape the cold ground. You can close the screened windows to block the wind.
It’s easy to collect eggs from the nesting box without disturbing your pullets. The nesting space has dividers so that multiple hens can lay eggs at the same time.
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Overall, it’s one of the best chicken coops that can beat the coming winter. The thick panels are layered with eco-friendly paint for durability. The coop holds more than a dozen chickens and can protect them from chilly wind and storms. What’s there not to like?
What to Look for Before Buying a Chicken Coop?
Raising chickens and keeping them happy, healthy, and alive takes effort. But it’s much easier when you have a nice chicken coop with a run, shelter, and nesting area!
In our guide to the best chicken coop, we explain different features of a chicken coop that satisfy your flocks’ needs. Make sure to keep reading!
The Size of Chicken Coops
This section is exclusively for new chicken keepers who want to know how much space their chickens need and what size chicken coop to buy.
Keep 4 sq. ft. coop floor for a grown chicken and 2 sq. ft. for a bantam. Anything less can cause stress to your flock.
If your chickens are free-range, then it’s okay to have a smaller coop since they will use it only for sleeping and laying eggs.
Once you’ve bought the chicken coop, it would be difficult to expand once your flock grows in number. For up to three hens, the ideal coop size is 80″ ×30″.
Good Ventilation and Roofing
The best chicken coops come with sliding windows. This way, you can control how much fresh air and sunlight your chickens are getting. A 3.5″×5″ window can provide necessary ventilation for a flock of five chickens.
Secure Door, Fence, and Wall
A sliding door with a durable latch will protect the flock from other pets and predators. Wire mesh walls remain strong for a long time.
You won’t have to rework a ½” wire wall as long as it’s metal and comes with a predator-proof locking mechanism.
To protect the fresh eggs from weasels, snakes, and coyotes, a raised coop such as the Goof Life Two Floors chicken coop is a good option.
Weatherproof Materials
For backyard chicken coops, fir wood is a suitable material. It’s resistant to decay, storm, strong wind, and mold.
Some coops provide an anti-UV cover for the chicken run. The material can withstand water damage in monsoon, but PVC would be a better pick.
You can also consider plywood roofing. It will be more affordable with moderate durability.
Roosting Bars
Every chicken needs about 8 to 10 inches of roosting space. It provides a secure place for your chickens to cuddle and sleep at night. Consider coops that come with two roosting bars – one on the inside and one on the outside. You can opt for an extendable roosting bar as well.
Removable Tray and Storage
Coops with large doors are comparatively easier to clean. But they’re not enough. Your coop should have a pull-out tray and an open/close rooftop. They ensure an easy cleaning process so that you can easily wash the bedding without moving the chickens. You can also use chicken coop cleaner to ease up the process.
Chicken Run and Nesting Box
A chicken coop with separate nesting boxes will be better for your hens. For a few chickens, a 20″×12″ nesting area is appropriate.
If you’re raising a flock of hens, it’s good to have two nesting boxes. You can easily lift the hatch and collect eggs from there.
Most chickens require 8 square feet of space inside the chicken run and 4 square feet inside the coop for healthy living.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What size chicken coop do I need for backyard chickens?
The size of your backyard chicken house will depend on how many chickens you have. If they have easy access to an outdoor run, a smaller coop will keep the chickens happy. For a few hens, a readymade 80″ coop is preferable.
2. What is the easiest way to clean a chicken coop?
The easiest way to clean a chicken coop is to replace the bedding every week. Start by cleaning any leftover food, dirt, feathers, droppings, and nesting materials off the bottom tray. You can spray diluted neem oil onto the chicken wire to prevent mites and bacteria.
3. How do you insulate a chicken coop for winter?
You can easily winterize a chicken coop with twin-wall insulation. Cover the corrugated roof and walls with cardboard material. You can spread straw to prevent cold from traveling up the chicken house.
4. What should you put inside a chicken coop?
Make sure that the chicken coop provides enough space for roosting and nesting. The nesting space should be separate from the main flock. Egg-laying hens need approximately 20″×12″ square feet nest boxes. 1.5 feet is a good height for a roosting perch.
5. What is the best coop for raising backyard chicken?
With a galvanized wire fence, fir wood-made panels, and quality hardware, the Best Choice Products chicken coop is the best for your backyard flock. It consists of two sliding windows, predator-proof locks, a roomy run, and roosting place.
Final Words
Backyard chickens spend a long time in their coop. So, it’s fair to them if you get a quality coop with nest boxes, roosting perch, and a large outdoor run. In our opinion, Best Choice chicken house is the best chicken coop you can buy for under 300 dollars. If this is your first coop, you can start small and get the Good Life Two Floors chicken coop for your hens. Thanks for reading!