How we work

A coop box that says "fits 10 chickens" usually doesn't. So we check what makers say against the actual measurements, and this page explains how. You can use the same math on anything you're thinking of buying.

Where our numbers come from

Every spec comes from the maker's own product page. If the maker doesn't sell direct, we use a big retailer's page instead. Each product page links to the page we used, at the bottom. When two sources don't agree, we note which number we went with and why.

The guidelines we measure against, like how much room a hen needs, come from university extension services. Each category page lists the ones it uses.

Nobody pays to be listed here, and we don't take free products.

Coops and runs

We take the coop's floor area and divide by 4 square feet per hen. If it comes with a run, we divide the run's area by 10 square feet per hen. Whichever number is smaller is the one we show, right next to what the maker claims.

Say a henhouse is 4 by 6 feet. That's 24 square feet, enough for 6 hens. Its 72 square foot run fits 7. We'd call it a 6-hen coop, even if the box says 18.

Runs sold on their own get the same 10 square feet per hen. When a maker only gives length and width, we multiply them and say so in the notes.

Feeders and waterers

For feeders, we divide what it holds by 1.5 pounds, which is about what 6 laying hens eat in a day. That tells you roughly how many days you can go between refills. Some extension services put daily feed a little higher, so think of it as the best case.

For waterers, we divide what it holds by about a gallon, which is what 6 hens can drink on a hot day. In cooler weather it'll last about twice as long.

Nest boxes and roosts

We count 4 hens per nest hole and 10 inches of roost per hen. Extension guidelines give a range, and we went with the careful end.

Brooders, heat plates and incubators

The chick count on a brooder or heat plate is the maker's number, not ours. We list the wattage too, since a heat plate uses a small fraction of the power a heat lamp does.

For incubators, we list how many eggs each one holds and whether it turns the eggs for you, has a fan, controls humidity, and stops turning for the last three days before hatch.

Fencing

We list the length, height, mesh size and wire gauge the maker gives. Fence chargers show how much fence the maker says each one can power.

Winter gear and coop doors

For heated waterers, coop heaters and automatic doors, we look at the things that matter when it's cold: the lowest temperature the maker rates it for, wattage, power source, door opening size and safety features. A thermostat that kicks on at 35°F doesn't make something rated for cold, so we don't list it that way.

Things we won't do

We won't guess. If a maker leaves out a number we need, the product page says "Not listed."

We won't count bantams. If a listing says "6 large or 10 bantams," we check the bigger claim against the room a standard hen needs, since that's what most people keep.

We won't call anything "predator-proof." We list the wire and locks the maker describes, and we say so when they don't describe any.

And we won't pretend we've used these products. We haven't. We compare what's published.

Spot a mistake?

Specs change, and we get things wrong sometimes. If you find an error, send us a note with a link to the source and we'll fix it.