The Best Chicken Coops You Can Buy Online

One of the perks of living in today’s modern world is that you can virtually anything online, and that includes all sorts of supplies for your chickens. Heck, you can even order the birds themselves online and have them delivered right to your door!

Because we’re so accustomed to shopping virtually nowadays, many people want to buy a chicken coop online, and while there are quite a few products available, I generally caution people against shopping on the internet if possible. Here’s why.

Most Online Chicken Coops Suck

They’re Way Too Small

So many of the chicken coops sold online are laughably small and only suitable to house three or four full-size chickens comfortably. (The Producer’s Pride Sentinel Coop, pictured below, is one common example of this—it’s tiny.) If you want your flock to be happy and healthy, it’s important to give them plenty of space to sleep, eat, and roam during the day.

How much space do chickens need? For standard-sized breeds, the rule of thumb is:

• 2 square feet of coop space per bird
• 1 foot of roosting area per bird
• 10 square feet of outdoor space per bird, if they’re not allowed to free range

These numbers will be slightly less if you have small breeds like bantams, and they’ll be higher if you have larger breeds, such as Jersey Giants.

By this math, if you’re planning to keep 10 chickens, you’ll need at least a 20-square-foot coop (roughly 4×5 feet). It will also need 10 feet of roosting bars, as well as a 100-square-foot run (10×10 feet). If you compare these numbers to the size of many prefab chicken coops, you’ll find that many brands overstate the capacity of their coops—a recipe for unhappy birds.

They Lack Ventilation

Ventilation is essential for a chicken coop, yet it’s an often-overlooked feature. If your coop doesn’t have adequate ventilation, ammonia and waste odors can build up, which can be harmful to your birds. Further, in the winter, proper ventilation is important for letting moisture out of the coop—otherwise, your chickens may end up with frostbite.

How much ventilation does a chicken coop need? Meyer Hatchery recommends 1 square foot of vents for every 10 square feet of coop space. (However, in my experience, more is better for odor control.) Vents should be located toward the top of the coop, and they should be placed in a spot that prevents drafts or wind from blowing on your birds when they roost.

Many online chicken coops don’t have vents are all, and if they do, the vents are often too small or poorly placed.

They’re Not Predator-Proof

There are a lot of animals that can harm your chickens—foxes, coyotes, hawks, mink, and raccoons are a few of the main predators where I live in New England. Your chicken coop and run need to be able to keep these predators out, which can be quite tricky. A lot of online chicken coops have unsecured windows or doors that aren’t enough to deter predators, and I’ve also seen a lot of runs with large gaps in the fencing that many critters can simply crawl through.

The Best Chicken Coops to Buy Online

With all that in mind, there are a few prefab chicken coops that you can buy online that I think are well-designed and suitable for a decent-sized flock. (I say prefab because most of them need to be assembled.) The following are four products I think are a worthwhile investment for your chickens.

1. OverEZ Large Chicken Coop

• Dimensions: 74L x 60W x 72.5H inches
• Listed Capacity: 15 chickens
• Material: Wood w/ metal roof
• Nesting Boxes: 5
• Roosting Bars: 2
• Ventilation: Yes
• Run: No

In terms of durability and spaciousness, OverEZ Chicken Coops are one of your best bets when shopping online—but they come with a hefty price tag to match. My local Runnings actually stocked these coops at one point, so I’ve seen them in person, and overall, they seem like a solidly built option for a mid-size flock. You could definitely house a dozen or so chickens in the large version, and there are three styles available that offer different colors and finishes.

Keep in mind that you will need to put this coop together yourself, and since it’s made from wood, I’m guessing you’re going to need some power tools and an extra set of hands to get it done. While you’re at it, I’d also recommend installing some larger vents along the roofline, or you may end up having problems with odors and/or moisture build-up during the winter.

2. Omlet Eglu Coop

• Dimensions: 37L x 39W x 46H inches (without run)
• Listed Capacity: 8 medium-sized chickens
• Material: UV-stabilized polyethylene
• Nesting Boxes: 1
• Roosting Bars: N/A
• Ventilation: Yes
• Run: Optional

If you’re only planning to keep a small flock, the Eglu Coop is a well-designed option that provides the most bang for your buck. Most people agree it’s realistically suitable for four to six hens, and one of the biggest benefits is that it’s super easy to clean thanks to the pull-out drawer and plastic construction. Plus, there are a variety of accessories you can buy along with this coop, including an automatic door, several run sizes, and even wheels to move it around your yard.

3. Producer’s Pride Guardian Chicken Coop

• Dimensions: 126.8L x 68.7W x 72.4H inches
• Listed Capacity: 14 chickens
• Material: Wood w/ vinyl roof
• Nesting Boxes: 3
• Roosting Bars: 3
• Ventilation: Yes
• Run: Yes, 81 x 68.7 inches

If you want to go with a Producer’s Pride coop, the Guardian version is a better option than the Sentinel. It’s much more spacious and has a walk-in design that will make it easier to clean and tend to your chickens as needed.

However, the capacity of this coop is way overstated—there’s no way 14 birds could live in it comfortably. The interior is only around 6 square feet, and the run is roughly 38 square feet—by the rules outlined above, this is only suitable for three or four chickens. You could probably get away with keeping six to eight birds in the coop because it offers a lot of vertical space, but the run is too small for that many. If you want more than a few birds, I’d recommend planning to free-range them or building a bigger run, else they’ll be extremely crowded and bored.

4. Heartland Midtown Storage Shed

• Dimensions: 121.2L x 103.6W x 102H inches
• Listed Capacity: N/A
• Material: Engineered wood
• Nesting Boxes: N/A
• Roosting Bars: N/A
• Ventilation: No
• Run: No

If you want a lot of birds and aren’t afraid of a little DIY action, I think the best plan is actually to buy a shed and convert it into a coop. The Heartland Midtown shed is less than $2,000, and it has 86 square feet of interior space, which is suitable for more than 40 chickens. (If this seems outrageous, I’d urge you to look up “chicken math”—it’s real!)

This type of shed will need some alterations, of course. You’ll need to install roosting bars and nesting boxes, as well as ventilation. Still, I think it’s totally doable for anyone with a little DIY experience, and your birds will be safe and secure in the sturdy structure.

Where to Buy a Chicken Coop

If you don’t have any luck shopping online—and don’t want to build a coop yourself—there are a few other places I recommend looking.

Facebook Marketplace

You can find just about anything on Facebook Marketplace, and that includes chicken coops. I regularly see people selling unwanted/unneeded coops on the platform, and you can save a lot of money if you’re OK with a used coop. Just be sure to deep clean it before moving your flock in to prevent the spread of diseases, mites, etc.

The downside with this option is that you’re generally on the hook for picking up and transporting the coop, which can be difficult if you want a bigger structure. However, some sellers are willing to deliver for an additional fee.

Local Shed Stores

I’ve also found that most shed stores carry chicken coops. Many of these retailers have display yards where you can go and look at the products in-person, which will give you a sense of their quality, and they’ll generally deliver them to your home, as well. One of the big benefits here is that there’s no assembly required!

Similarly, if there’s someone in your town who builds sheds or outbuildings, chances are they can build you a chicken coop. This is the way to go if you want a custom design, as they’ll work with you to create the perfect house for your flock.