Best Chicken Coop Kits for Beginners (Buying Guide)
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Ask any neighbor who keeps hens about their first coop. Most will laugh. The box said six hens. They put in three and it still felt crowded by March.
That is the main lesson of buying a kit. The photo on the box is not the number that matters. The floor is.
Our top picks
Paid links. We earn from qualifying Amazon purchases. We chose these from specs and owner feedback, not our own testing. Photos show the type of gear, not the exact product.
Best for 2 or 3 hens on a tight budgetPawHut 80 inch Wooden Chicken Coop with RunThis is the kit you see in half the backyards on your street.Check price on Amazon →Details ↓Photo: Josh Larios, CC BY-SA 2.0
Best small plastic coop for 2 or 3 hensOmlet Eglu Go Chicken CoopA compact plastic house made for up to 3 large hens or 4 bantams.Check price on Amazon →Details ↓Photo: Linda N., CC BY 2.0- Best for moving the flock onto fresh grassAivituvin Movable Chicken Coop with Wheel and RunA wooden coop with an attached run and a wheel at one end.Check price on Amazon →Details ↓Photo: Josh Larios, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Best for easy cleaning with a mid sized flockOmlet Eglu Cube Large Chicken CoopThe best known plastic coop.Check price on Amazon →Details ↓Photo: Linda N., CC BY 2.0
Best walk in coop for 6 to 8 hensAivituvin Walk-in Chicken Coop for 8 ChickensYou can stand up inside to clean and collect eggs.Check price on Amazon →Details ↓Photo: USDA, CC0
Show 2 more
- Best plastic coop for a bigger flockOmlet Eglu Pro Large Chicken CoopOmlet's largest coop.Check price on Amazon →Details ↓Photo: Linda N., CC BY 2.0
- Best for adding big run spacePawHut Galvanized Walk-in Chicken Run with CoverThis is a run and not a coop.Check price on Amazon →Details ↓Photo: USDA, CC0
In this guide
Start with the floor, not the label
Most kit makers count hens the way airlines count legroom. So do your own sum before you buy.
The extension poultry guide from eXtension says laying hens need 3 to 4 square feet each inside the coop. They need about 10 square feet each in the run. Bantams can get by on a bit less.
Find the house dimensions in the listing. Ignore the run for now. Multiply length by width in feet and divide by 4. That is your honest hen count. A house floor of 3 by 4 feet is 12 square feet. That means 3 hens. It does not mean 6.
Our guide on how much space chickens need walks through the full sums for roosts and nest boxes too.
The kits worth a look
These cover the common situations. A small yard with 3 hens. A family that wants easy cleaning. A bigger flock that needs room to walk in.
Photo: Josh Larios, CC BY-SA 2.0PawHut 80 inch Wooden Chicken Coop with Run
This is the kit you see in half the backyards on your street. It has a nest box, a small run and a pull out tray under the roost. Two people can put it together in an afternoon. Treat the wood with a pet safe sealer before the first winter.
What to like
- Low cost
- Pull out tray makes daily cleaning quick
- Small enough for a narrow side yard
Watch out for
- Thin wood panels
- Run mesh is light so add hardware cloth
- Plan on 3 hens at most
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Omlet Eglu Go Chicken Coop
A compact plastic house made for up to 3 large hens or 4 bantams. There is no wood for mites to hide in. You lift the droppings tray out and rinse it. It suits a first flock in a small garden.
What to like
- Wipes clean in minutes
- No rot and no painting
- Light enough to move around the yard
Watch out for
- Costs more than a wooden kit
- Run is sold as an extra or bundle
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Photo: Josh Larios, CC BY-SA 2.0Aivituvin Movable Chicken Coop with Wheel and Run
A wooden coop with an attached run and a wheel at one end. You lift the handles and roll it a few feet every couple of days. The hens get new ground and your lawn gets a rest.
What to like
- Wheel makes moving easy
- Nest box built in
- Run attached so setup is fast
Watch out for
- Small house so keep the flock small
- Lock it down at night on uneven ground
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Omlet Eglu Cube Large Chicken Coop
The best known plastic coop. Twin wall panels help in summer heat and winter cold. You can hose the whole thing out on a sunny morning. Mites have very few cracks to hide in.
What to like
- Hose clean and dries fast
- Twin wall panels
- Few gaps for mites
Watch out for
- Costs a lot more than wood
- Bulky to ship and build
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Aivituvin Walk-in Chicken Coop for 8 Chickens
You can stand up inside to clean and collect eggs. That alone saves your back. It comes with a PVC floor liner that makes scraping easier.
What to like
- Room to stand while you clean
- Floor liner included
- Space to add more roosts
Watch out for
- Big flat pack to build
- Add hardware cloth along the bottom
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Omlet Eglu Pro Large Chicken Coop
Omlet's largest coop. It houses up to 10 large hens or 15 bantams. You get the easy cleaning of plastic at a size most plastic coops can't reach.
What to like
- Holds a real flock
- Hose clean
- No wood to rot
Watch out for
- Costs the most here
- Needs a big level spot
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PawHut Galvanized Walk-in Chicken Run with Cover
This is a run and not a coop. The steel frame is about 9 by 18 feet with a waterproof cover. Most people set it around a smaller coop. It gives a flock of 8 or more the room it needs in the day.
What to like
- Lots of run space
- Steel frame won't rot
- Tall enough to walk in
Watch out for
- You still need a coop inside
- Stock mesh is light
- Anchor it well against wind
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| Pick | Best for | Main plus | Main catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| PawHut 80 inch Wooden Chicken Coop with Run | Best for 2 or 3 hens on a tight budget | Low cost | Thin wood panels |
| Omlet Eglu Go Chicken Coop | Best small plastic coop for 2 or 3 hens | Wipes clean in minutes | Costs more than a wooden kit |
| Aivituvin Movable Chicken Coop with Wheel and Run | Best for moving the flock onto fresh grass | Wheel makes moving easy | Small house so keep the flock small |
| Omlet Eglu Cube Large Chicken Coop | Best for easy cleaning with a mid sized flock | Hose clean and dries fast | Costs a lot more than wood |
| Aivituvin Walk-in Chicken Coop for 8 Chickens | Best walk in coop for 6 to 8 hens | Room to stand while you clean | Big flat pack to build |
| Omlet Eglu Pro Large Chicken Coop | Best plastic coop for a bigger flock | Holds a real flock | Costs the most here |
| PawHut Galvanized Walk-in Chicken Run with Cover | Best for adding big run space | Lots of run space | You still need a coop inside |
Wood or plastic
Wood looks nice and costs less up front. It also soaks up moisture and gives red mites a hundred places to live. Budget kits use thin panels. Expect to seal them and maybe replace a board or two after a few years.
Plastic costs more. It does not rot and it hoses clean. If you hate cleaning or you have had mites before, plastic pays you back in time.
Metal walk in frames sit in the middle. They last for years but they are runs. You still need a proper house inside.
The two upgrades every kit needs
Very few kits ship ready for a raccoon. The mesh on most kit runs is light chicken wire. It keeps chickens in. It does not keep much out.
The first fix is half inch hardware cloth over every vent and window and along the bottom of the run. Our predator proofing guide shows where it goes.
The second fix is an automatic coop door. It closes the pop door at dusk even when you get home late. Most losses happen on the one night you forget.
Quick checks before you click buy
- Work out the house floor area and divide by 4.
- Look for vents high up near the roof. Hens need fresh air at night without a draft on the roost.
- Make sure you can reach every corner to clean. Pull out trays and big side doors help a lot.
- Check the nest box count. One box for every 4 or 5 hens is plenty.
- Plan the spot first. Our guide on where to place a coop covers shade, drainage and distance from the house.
If you are handy with a drill you might do better building your own. Our DIY vs prefab guide compares the two honestly.
Sources
- eXtension Poultry. Space allowances in housing for small and backyard poultry flocks.
- University of Maryland Extension. Housing requirements for small flocks.
- Omlet product listings for Eglu Go and Eglu Pro hen counts.
