Why The Right Chicken Coop Is Important

When you first decide to keep backyard chickens, it all seems easy-peasy: Get a few chicks from the farm store, give them food and water and a place to sleep and before long, you have egg-producing machines.

Then you discover life doesn’t work that way. Maybe your egg-collecting technique was instead a recipe for breaking them in the field; or your egg-laying machines got sick; or a snake or opossum or raccoon checked in for a chicken-and-egg banquet.

That’s when you need a quality coop, one that is designed by people who know chickens and chicken-keepers.

Here’s what a quality coop offers:

Safety—A strong, sturdy coop will keep predators out, even the aforementioned critters, plus rats, owls, hawks, and foxes. Chickens in a coop are far less attractive to these thieves when they can’t get inside.

Shelter—While chickens can adapt to nearly every climate, who likes to be outside when it rains, snows, is blistering hot, or windy? A coop will provide protection from dangerous weather and help keep disease away.

Roosting location—It’s a bird thing: chickens like a safe space to roost at night that they can call their own. Note that chickens are territorial and will establish a hierarchy for the best spots.

Laying or nesting boxes—It is important that you know where to find eggs every morning. When hens have a properly-sized space for laying, you get more eggs, so look for coops that make it easy for you to collect.

Properly-designed coops offer more than the factors above, incorporating features that are both user- and chicken-friendly. Ventilation is crucial to maintaining chicken health in both hot summers and frigid winters. Keeping the coop clean is a necessary part of husbandry, removing litter, debris and other hazards like damp, soiled, or smelly bedding. And some manufacturers even offer protected chicken runs, so the birds can get some safe time outside.

And let’s not forget one of the most important factors in chicken coop design, that being…beauty. Chicken coop manufacturers take pains to make coops that are functional and sturdy, but pleasing to the eye.

Besides, it’s an opportunity to make the neighbors jealous, and who doesn’t love that? (Just kidding. Well, maybe a little.)

Let’s take a look at some of the latest coop designs available today.

Rita Marie’s Chicken Coops

Quaker Coop-and-Run

This year is trending toward a marriage between aesthetics and function. This makes our 7x16 Quaker Coop-and-Run Combo an instant classic when you include a cupola and weathervane. With spacious hen house and built-in chicken run all under one roof, your birds can roam underneath the hen house and enjoy the full footprint of the structure while being protected from predators. With some simple site preparation you can have a safe fortress for your flock, and one that is made to last for years to come.

Rita Marie’s Chicken Coops

877-550-9346

largechickencoops.com

Carolina Coops

American Coop

The American Coop from Carolina Coops is the top choice for backyard flocks, offering a blend of customization, functionality, and beauty. Crafted from premium lumber, featuring durable metal roofing, polycarbonate cantilevered windows, black coated ½” hardware cloth, and ample space in the walk-in run, this coop prioritizes the safety and well-being of your chickens while encouraging their instincts. The elevated 4'x6' henhouse incorporates innovative design elements, including a deep litter bed, making maintenance minimal. Customizations like a Dutch door, cupola, coop pantry, and various size options are available. Everything is labeled and predrilled for seamless assembly. The American Coop ships quickly worldwide, providing an exceptional coop that combines practicality with style.

Carolina Coops

919-794-3989

Carolinacoops.com

The Chicken Coop Company

Rhode Island Homestead XL Coop with Run Extension

Designed for 10+ chickens, this model chicken coop features quality hardware, support under each nesting box, reinforced catch tray, locking pop-up vent windows, underlayment to keep the water out of the coop and away from your chickens, and more. Our chicken coops are high quality, structurally engineered coops designed to last. We offer accessories for the Rhode Island Homestead coop that are sure to make your chicken raising experience more fun and accessible. Check out our chicken waterer for uninterrupted water supply, chicken coop heater for safe warmth during the winter, and the predator-proof chicken coop kit for elevated hen safety.

Each kit arrives with clear assembly instructions and a how-to YouTube video.

The Chicken Coop Company

888-222-5213

chickencoopcompany.com

EZ-Fit Sheds

Enjoy free-range, fresh eggs with your own chicken coop! This 4 x 6 EZ-fit Chicken Coop houses 12 to 14 chickens. Quickly move the coop across your pasture or backyard with our EZ-skid Runners. Hitch up your garden tractor and you’re ready to go! Runners are zinc galvanized to prevent rusting. The coop is delivered partially assembled and the primed Smartside Siding is easy to paint. Only basic assembly skills are required. Standard features include egg collection box, chicken door, ramp, inside roost, predator-resistant wire mesh, and more.

Ez-Fit Sheds

800-359-7522

EzFitSheds.com

New Age Pet

Sonoma Chicken Coop

The New Age Pet Sonoma Chicken Coop features two levels of living space with built-in ventilation, a hinged lid nesting box, two roosting bars and an easy to clean, galvanized pull out tray. The top level has two doors, one that opens to the main coop one to the ramp leading to the ground level pen. The coop is made with ECOFLEX, a non-toxic, eco-friendly proprietary composite blend that is impervious to moisture and odor. All New Age Pet outdoor products are easy to assemble and backed by a 10-year limited manufacturer's warranty. New Age Pet products can be purchased through retailers such as Amazon, Chewy, Home Depot, Petco, Wayfair and more.