Your chicken coop won’t only give your birds somewhere safe to sleep, eat and socialise, but getting the right one may also make your life a bit easier too.
Chickens need a familiar, safe space to roost at night. The right coop will be able to keep out any unwanted visitors, especially overnight when you can’t keep an eye on them. They’ll also be unable to wander or escape your garden. A coop will also allow your flock to maintain their social hierarchy while roosting, minimising fighting and bullying.
The right chicken coop should be large enough for all of your chickens, which is why most will host a minimum of three chickens overnight. It should be simple for you to clean and keep maintained, too. Coops also need to be weatherproof, so need to be quality and easy to repair if needed.
A coop is also where chickens will lay their eggs, so they need an area suitable for this. Most owners will also use the coop as a feeding space, so chickens know to return there at mealtimes.
But a coop isn’t all you’re going to need – if they can’t have free-roam of your garden, a chicken run is also necessary so they have enough space to exercise. You can read about everything else you need in our beginner’s guide to keeping chickens.
Finding the best chicken coop for you depends on how many you own, how large your breed is and where it will be going in your garden. Thankfully, there are dozens out there, but some are better for both you and your birds than others. These are the top picks we found.