Rising egg prices and the general allure of farming are driving more and more Americans to consider investing in their very own flock of chickens. But as with any animal in your care, it’s critical to consider the safety, security, comfort and general well-being of your birds. The best chicken coops take all of the above into consideration, offering a specialized home where your feathered friends can roost, relax and release their precious eggs. In 2023, our top pick is the Best Choice Products 80-Inch Wooden Chicken Coop, which features sturdy construction, a reasonable price tag and a good-looking exterior—but we’ve outlined plenty of other excellent options ahead.
The best chicken coops make it easy to protect the safety, security, comfort and general well-being ... [+] of your chickens. Promotion
Before you bring home one chicken—let alone a whole slew of them—you’re going to need to do a bit of research. “Check with your municipality and see if you can have chickens,” advises Lisa Steele, author of DIY Chicken Keeping. You’ll also want to look around and take note of your space: It’s imperative that you have enough room in your yard for the coop itself and for your chickens to roam around in during the day—and that you’re going to be able to keep predators at bay. Ife Kilimanjaro, Ph.D., co-executive director and managing director of Soul Fire Farm, adds that determining the size of your coop ultimately comes down to the number of chickens you plan to have. “There are ranges out there, but between 3 to 5 square feet per chicken is a good size,” she explains. In other words, this shopping experience will differ from that of, say, a pint-sized dog crate: Those birds need space.
(That includes perch space, by the way: Chickens like to sleep up high, and when bedtime rolls around, they’re generally going to require at least eight inches of perch per bird.)
Ahead, find our curated list of the best chicken coops on the market in 2023.
The Best Choice chicken coop is an excellent, obvious and relatively budget-friendly choice for most backyard farmers—even newbies. The fir wood coop is 80 by 26 inches, meaning it’s neither too big, nor too small. You’ll be able to tuck it into a corner of your yard with no problem. What’s more, it can hold up to five chickens in each of its enclosed areas, and its multi-door access gives your flock several different pathways of entry. There are perks here for you, too: A slide-out tray with a built-in nesting box makes it a cinch to grab freshly-laid eggs, and there’s a removable bottom sliding tray for quick cleaning.
This sturdy PawHut coop is a winner for several different reasons: It boasts a relatively roomy 65- by 49-inch footprint, it’s crafted from durable fir wood and the roof is weather-resistant to shelter your birds from the elements. To get down to the metal enclosure, your birds will use a small, narrow ramp (note that the wire-enclosed chicken run can also be removed if you’re short on space). Easy access to droppings is provided via a removable tray, and there’s even an observation window that allows you (and any little ones) to peek inside without disturbing the flock.
At just over $200, this chicken coop is a total bargain—and it’s also a customer favorite over on Amazon. The structure grants chickens indoor and outdoor access, the wood is kiln-dried to block out moisture and lower the warp risk and both the house and run boast multiple entrances to make it easy to get inside. There’s also a hinged roof and slide-out tray that lets you clean droppings without disturbing your birds.
This masterpiece of a chicken coop has enough space for 20 birds, allowing those with bigger flocks the opportunity to invest in just one structure that can house them all. With a floor plan measuring 98 by 60 inches, it’s certainly spacious enough—and it even boasts two vents and three screened-in windows for optimal air flow (not to mention six nesting boxes and two roosts to keep your birds comfortable). A sloped roof helps with efficient water run-off and a large hinged panel allows for easy egg retrieval. And while the coop does require a bit of hands-on assembly, it’s bound to last you years: Resin-treated flooring and siding offer peak durability here.
If you’d prefer to give your birds some added space—or even hang out with them yourself—then consider this option from Tucker Murphy Pet. It features an oversized run large enough for the hens and you, as well as two built-in nesting boxes and a removable divider to keep your birds secure during collection periods. The birds will also enjoy four round perch edges—two inside; two outside—to help them stay comfortable. A sliding door off the sleeping area can be closed at night to keep your flock secure.
Leave it to Williams Sonoma to craft a coop that doubles as a veritable work of art. With several different tiers and 25 square feet of run space, up to four chickens can enjoy this home. Upstairs, they’ll find a waterproof interior and nifty indoor perch alongside two removable nest boxes. As expected for the price, this coop is hand-built from red cedar, includes locks on both the chicken and egg doors and features a helpful mesh floor allow droppings to fall through. The most exciting element, though, is the beautiful built-in planter complete with a drainage system.
It all depends on which coop you’re considering. Save for the loss of time, it can be somewhat less expensive to build your own structure, and as Kilimanjaro offers pragmatically, “there are a number of materials that can be repurposed and recycled to make a coop.” That said, there’s also this fact to consider, per Steele: “Lumber and [raw] materials have gotten so expensive.” If you’re not exactly the handy type, it’s likely a better idea to simply purchase a ready-made or easy-to-assemble coop.
Keep in mind that a chicken coop really has two main purposes: to keep the birds safe at night from predators, and to give them a space to lay their eggs. “It doesn’t need to be fancy,” Steele says. “As long as the coop has those and some good ventilation, you’re fine. The style itself is a personal preference.” So, at baseline, you’ll need a few general elements: nesting boxes where hens can lay their eggs and a roosting area where they can sleep, for starters. Beyond that, you have a fair amount of flexibility and can get as creative as you’d like—but as Steele goes on to explain, “There are tons of designs, and none are perfect.”
It all depends on how many chickens you have, or plan to have. “You want about three to four square feet per chicken of floorspace,” Steele says. Still, as she points out, they won’t be sleeping on the floor—they’ll need to retire to a roost each night, and that means you’ll need eight inches of bar per chicken.
Think about your area’s typical weather patterns, too. “In colder climates, bigger is not always better,” Steele explains. “It’s easier for chickens to keep the coop warmer if it’s smaller.” The good news: Most store-bought coops state upfront the number of chickens they can reasonably accommodate.
I'm a wealth reporter focusing on entertainment. I previously worked Forbes' news desk and as a features reporter at the New York Post, where I covered pop culture, and at the Boston Globe and Boston.com I graduated from Emerson College in 2017 with a degree in journalism. Follow me on Twitter @MarisaDellatto or reach out at mdellatto@forbes.com.
I'm a wealth reporter focusing on entertainment. I previously worked Forbes' news desk and as a features reporter at the New York Post, where I covered pop culture, and at the Boston Globe and Boston.com I graduated from Emerson College in 2017 with a degree in journalism. Follow me on Twitter @MarisaDellatto or reach out at mdellatto@forbes.com.
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