Giddy Pets US
Backyard chickens
Little things. Happy tails.
Chicken coops, runs, nesting boxes, feeders and waterers for a backyard flock, plus houses for ducks. Each coop lists how many birds it is sized for.
A happy life, one little thing at a time.Chicken coops →Chicken runs →Chicken nesting boxes →Backyard chickens →Duck houses →Chicken feeders and waterers →Small animal playpens →Outdoor rabbit hutches →
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All backyard chickens
Little essentials. Lots of love.
A little guidance
Help choosing backyard chickens
Buying guides and care advice written for this range: what to measure, what matters and what to skip.
From our guides
- Chicken Coop Ideas: Layouts That Work for a Backyard Flock →
- Best Chicken Coops: What Actually Matters →
- Chicken Coop Bedding and Cleaning: A Practical Routine →
- Chicken Coop Size: How Much Space Do Chickens Need? →
- Predator-Proof Chicken Coop: Review the Whole Enclosure →
- Best Chicken Runs: What Actually Matters →
Everything here is for keeping a small backyard flock: wooden chicken coops with nesting boxes and attached runs, large galvanized walk-in runs, metal nesting box banks, roosting perches and a few duck houses. It is written for first-time keepers choosing their first coop and for anyone adding birds who needs to know whether the space they have is enough.
What is in this range
The coops fall into two families. Wooden hen houses are the classic backyard design: a raised house with a roost and nesting box, a ramp, and usually a small attached run underneath or beside it. Many have a removable floor tray or an opening roof, which matters more than any other feature when it comes to weekly cleaning. Sizes run from compact coops sold for four to six birds up to long double-run designs over ten feet.
The second family is the galvanized steel walk-in run, often around 10 by 13 feet, with a mesh roof cover. These are not houses on their own. They give a flock a large, covered outdoor space and are usually paired with a separate wooden coop for roosting and laying. Alongside both you will find multi-compartment metal nesting boxes, swing-style roosting perches and duck houses with low entrances.
How much space your chickens need
Space is where most coops are oversold. Penn State Extension gives 1.5 square feet of indoor space per laying hen and 8 square feet in the run, rising to 2 and 10 square feet for large breeds, while bantams need about 1 and 4. The University of Minnesota Extension is more generous and suggests a minimum of 3 to 5 square feet of indoor space per bird. The difference is mostly about how much time the birds spend shut in.
A practical way to use those numbers: measure the coop floor yourself from the listed dimensions, divide by the floor space per bird, and treat the manufacturer's bird count as a ceiling rather than a target. If your hens are confined for long stretches in winter, plan around the larger extension figure. Crowding shows up as damp bedding, ammonia smell, pecking and fewer eggs.
Nesting boxes and roosts
Hens share nest boxes happily, so you need fewer than you might expect. Minnesota Extension suggests one nest box for every four to five layers, and Penn State recommends two nests for the first four hens, then one more for every four after that, each at least 12 by 12 inches. A metal box bank is easy to scrub and mites have fewer places to hide than in bare wood.
Roosts should sit higher than the nest boxes, or hens will start sleeping, and soiling, in the nests. Penn State suggests about 6 inches of perch per standard bird, roosts 12 inches apart and 18 to 24 inches off the floor, with a little less for bantams. Heavy meat breeds do better without high perches. A rounded wooden bar is kinder to feet than a thin dowel.
Predator-proofing a coop and run
Raccoons, hawks, owls, foxes, rats and neighborhood cats are the usual threats, and raccoons can open simple latches. Penn State Extension recommends fully enclosing runs with a covered top, burying the fence wire at least 12 inches deep and bending the bottom outward about 6 inches so diggers hit mesh. A walk-in run with a mesh roof handles the overhead side; the ground is the weak point on most kits.
Check every door for a latch that needs two movements to open, and replace thin chicken wire on windows with heavier mesh if a coop arrives with it. Minnesota Extension says to seal small gaps and close birds in at night, and to keep woodpiles and stored equipment away from the coop because they shelter predators. Locking up at dusk prevents most losses.
Ventilation and cleaning
A coop needs airflow without a draft across the roost. Penn State Extension notes that dampness and ammonia are signs of too little ventilation, and that vents should not open directly over the perches. Look for vents high on the walls, under the roof line, and position the coop so the openings face away from your prevailing winter wind.
Cleaning is easier with a pull-out tray, a hinged roof and doors large enough to reach every corner. Minnesota Extension suggests cleaning the coop and pen weekly with a thorough clean at least once a year, often in spring, and another in fall to help control mites. Wooden coops last longer with a pet-safe exterior finish renewed every year or two.
Before you buy
Check your city or county rules first. Minnesota Extension points out that some localities require a permit, limit the number of birds or ban roosters, and a few ban poultry entirely. Setback rules can also decide where a coop may sit, which in turn decides what size will fit.
Then plan for the flock you will have in a year, not the chicks you are bringing home. Most keepers add birds, and a coop sized exactly for today is crowded by next spring. Pairing a wooden house with a large covered run is often the most flexible setup, because the run can grow while the house stays the same.
How many chickens fit in a coop?
Divide the floor area by the space per bird. Penn State Extension uses 1.5 square feet indoors per laying hen and 8 in the run; Minnesota Extension suggests 3 to 5 indoors. Treat any listed bird count as the maximum.
Do chickens need a run as well as a coop?
Yes, unless they free range daily. The coop is for roosting and laying; the run gives them room to scratch, dust bathe and move, and Penn State suggests about 8 square feet of run per hen.
How many nesting boxes do I need?
Fewer than one per hen. Minnesota Extension suggests one box for every four to five layers. Boxes should sit lower than the roosts so hens do not sleep in them.
How do I keep raccoons out of a chicken coop?
Use latches that need two actions to open, cover the run, bury or apron the fencing at least 12 inches, replace light chicken wire with heavier mesh, and close the birds in every night.
Can ducks live in a chicken coop?
They can share a run, but ducks sleep on the floor, need more space and make bedding wet. Penn State gives ducks 3 square feet indoors and 15 outdoors, so a separate duck house usually works better.