Gaurabh Patodia
Gaurabh Patodia is the owner of Backyard Coops and the researcher behind its guides.
He compiles each guide from university extension services and manufacturer specs and the experience keepers share in their own communities. He reads the sources side by side and keeps the numbers that agree. When they donât agree the guide says so.
He does not test the products in the guides and every page says that. Each guide ends with a list of the sources it used so you can check the work yourself.
Read how we choose products to see the steps behind every pick. Or read about the site.
Guides by Gaurabh Patodia
Automatic Chicken Coop Doors: What to Check Before You BuyHow to pick an automatic coop door that actually keeps hens safe. Covers light sensors and timers, power, door size, locking and cold weather.
Photo: âOur Chicken Coopâ by furtwangl, CC BY 2.0
Best Brooder Heat Plate for Chicks (Buying Guide)Heat plates that keep baby chicks warm without a hot lamp hanging over dry bedding. How big a plate your batch needs, how to set the height and how to tell if chicks are warm enough.
Photo: Ken_Mayer, CC BY 2.0
Best Chicken Coop Camera: Wireless, Solar and No Wifi OptionsHow to pick a coop camera that works where your hens live. Solar wifi cams, cellular trail cams and simple SD card cameras for spotting night predators.
Photo: âFirst night in the new coopâ by normanack, CC BY 2.0
Best Chicken Coop for 4 Chickens (Buying Guide)Coops that really fit four hens. How much floor and run space four birds need, which kits are honest about size, and what to add so the setup stays safe.
Photo: âUrban Chickenâ by Coco Mault, CC BY 2.0
Best Chicken Coop for 6 Hens With a Run (Buying Guide)How much coop and run space six hens really need, what to check on a prefab kit, and five coop styles that suit a small backyard flock.
Photo: âSeattle Chicken Coop and 2 Hensâ by furtwangl from West Seattle, CC BY 2.0
Best Egg Incubator for Beginners (Buying Guide)Simple incubators for a first hatch of chicken eggs. What the eggs need for 21 days, which features save a beginner the most worry, and how many eggs to start with.
Photo: âSmall Chicken Egg Incubatorâ by Alex Ford from Raleigh, NC, USA, CC BY 2.0
Best Heated Chicken Waterer for Winter (Buying Guide)Heated waterers and bases that keep your flock's water liquid on freezing mornings. Which type suits your setup, how to run power safely, and what to do with no power at all.
Photo: Liamkw, CC BY-SA 4.0
Best Rat Proof Chicken Feeder (Buying Guide)Treadle and port feeders that stop feeding the rats and mice and wild birds. How each type keeps pests out, which one suits your flock and the habits that matter as much as the feeder.
Photo: Rachel Tayse, CC BY 2.0
Chicken Coop Fans: Solar and Thermostat Ways to Cool a Hot CoopHow to cool a hot chicken coop with a fan. Solar kits for coops with no power, thermostat fans for coops with an outlet and what fans can't fix.
Photo: âChicken Coopâ by rebecca.shiraev@sbcglobal.net, CC BY 2.0
Chicken Coop Light for Winter: Timers and Hours Hens NeedHens need 14 to 16 hours of light a day to keep laying. Here's how to add winter light on a timer and why morning light works best.
Photo: âChicken coop in winterâ by Jared and Corin, CC BY-SA 2.0
Chicken Coop Size CalculatorType in how many hens you plan to keep and get the coop floor, run area, roost length and nest boxes they need. Based on university extension space advice.
Photo: Josh Larios, CC BY-SA 2.0
Chicken Roosting Bars: How High, How Long and What to BuyHow many inches of roost bar each hen needs, how high and far apart to mount the bars, which wood to use and the roost gear worth buying.
Photo: âThe approach of the chickenâ by benketaro, CC BY 2.0
Chicken Waterer Nipples vs Cups: Best 5 Gallon Bucket SetupsNipples or cups for a 5 gallon bucket waterer? See how much water hens really drink, what each style does well and how to build a bucket that won't leak.
Photo: âChickens Drinking from Waterer on Small Farmâ by Alabama Extension, CC0 1.0
How to Keep Rats and Mice Out of a Chicken CoopRats and mice come for the chicken feed and stay for the shelter. Here is how to seal gaps, lock away feed and shut them out at night.
Photo: âOur Chicken Coopâ by furtwangl, CC BY 2.0
Best Chicken Coop Bedding: Pine Shavings vs Hemp vs Straw vs SandPine shavings suit most backyard coops. Hemp lasts longer between changes. Here is how straw and sand compare and which one fits your flock.
Photo: gchpaco, CC BY-SA 2.0- Best Chicken Coop Kits for Beginners (Buying Guide)
The coop kits worth your money for a first flock. How to check the real hen count, which kits suit 3 hens or 8, and the two cheap upgrades every kit needs.
Photo: Josh Larios, CC BY-SA 2.0 - Best Chicken Feeders and Waterers (Buying Guide)
The feeders and waterers that keep feed dry and water clean. How much your hens eat and drink each day, which type suits your flock, and how to stop feeding the rats.
Photo: Rachel Tayse, CC BY 2.0 
Build or Buy a Chicken Coop? An Honest Look at BothShould you build your own chicken coop or buy a kit? Here is what each one costs in time and money. We also cover who each one suits.
Photo: furtwangl, CC BY 2.0
Chicken Coop Ventilation: How Much Air Your Hens NeedWhy a coop needs more fresh air than you think. How big your vents should be, where to put them and how to keep air moving without a draft on the roost.
Photo: Shadowmeld Photography, CC BY-SA 4.0
Chicken Run Size and FencingHow big a chicken run should be, which wire keeps raccoons and foxes out, how to stop diggers and what to put on the floor.
Photo: USDA, CC0
How Much Space Do Chickens Need? Coop and Run SizesThe real square feet per hen inside the coop and in the run. Plus roost length, nest boxes and a simple way to check any coop before you buy it.
Photo: Living Off Grid, CC BY 2.0
How to Clean a Chicken Coop (Plus the Deep Litter Method)A simple daily, weekly and twice a year routine for keeping a backyard coop clean. Also how deep litter works and when it's the better choice.
Photo: furtwangl, CC BY 2.0
How to Predator-Proof a Chicken CoopKeep raccoons, foxes, dogs, hawks and rats away from your hens. Where to use hardware cloth, how to stop diggers, which latches hold and the habits that matter most.
Photo: furtwangl, CC BY 2.0- How to Winterize a Chicken Coop: A Simple Checklist
Get your coop ready for cold weather. Keep it dry and free of drafts, stop the water freezing and decide if your hens really need heat.
Photo: Liamkw, CC BY-SA 4.0 
Nesting Boxes: How Many, What Size and Where to Put ThemHow many nest boxes your hens need, what size to make them, how high to hang them and what to put inside. Plus fixes for floor eggs and egg eating.
Photo: mazaletel, CC BY 2.0- Where to Put a Chicken Coop in Your Yard
How to pick the right spot for a backyard coop. Look for dry ground, morning sun, shelter from the wind and a short walk from the back door.
Photo: furtwangl, CC BY 2.0