Keep happier backyard hens
Real picks for coops, feeders, waterers, brooders, and everything for a healthy backyard flock
Top picks right now
Space per hen
- Coop floor about 4 sq ft per hen
- Run about 10 sq ft per hen
- Nest boxes about 1 per 4 to 5 hens
- Roost bar about 8 to 10 in per bird
Common extension-service guidelines for standard breeds. Bantams need less; more space means less pecking.
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Start Here: A Beginner's Path Into Backyard Chickens
8 short steps in the order a beginner needs them, with the guides and tools for each one.
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Based on the last 28 days of search and visitor data.
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Coops & Runs
Coops, runs, tractors, and enclosure hardware.
Browse 9 guides →Feeding & Water
Feeders, waterers, treats, and feed storage.
Browse 10 guides →Nesting & Bedding
Nest boxes, roosts, bedding, and coop comfort.
Browse 10 guides →Chicks & Brooding
Brooders, heat plates, and chick supplies.
Browse 10 guides →Predator Protection
Fencing, locks, lights, and security gear.
Browse 10 guides →Health & Eggs
Health supplies, cleaning, and egg handling.
Browse 11 guides →Best buying guides
Best Rodent-Proof Feed Storage for Chicken Keepers
Open feed sacks invite mice, rats and spoilage. Compare metal cans, sealed bins and gaskets to keep chicken feed dry, fresh and out of reach of rodents.
Best Brooder Bedding for Chicks
Chick bedding has to grip small feet, stay dry and raise little dust. Compare pine shavings, hemp and paper based options for the first six weeks.
Best Hemp Bedding for Chicken Coops
Hemp hurd absorbs more than shavings, drops less dust and composts fast. Compare hemp beddings by particle size, bale weight and true cost per month.
Best Chick Feeders
Chicks scratch feed everywhere and foul what they spill. Compare trough, jar and port feeders that cut waste, keep crumble clean and are easy to refill.
Best Chick Starter Kits
A starter kit puts heat, feed, water and bedding in one box before day one. Compare kits by what is actually included and what you still need to buy.
Best Coop Aprons and Anti-Dig Skirts for Runs
Foxes and dogs tunnel under runs overnight. Compare predator aprons, buried skirts and fixings that stop diggers from getting beneath your coop walls.
Packing tips
All tips →How to Keep Chicken Water From Freezing in Winter (What Works)
Keep chicken water from freezing with heated bases, rubber pans, smart placement and a simple winter routine. What works, what does not, and what to avoid.
How to Build a Chicken Nesting Box (Size, Materials and Placement)
Build a chicken nesting box in an afternoon: the right size per hen, how many boxes you need, what to build it from and where it goes in the coop.
Poultry Incubation Chart
Incubation periods, temperature and humidity targets, and lockdown timing for chicken, duck, goose, turkey, and quail eggs.
How to Deep Clean and Prepare Your Chicken Coop in Autumn
Autumn is the ideal time to clean the coop, check for mites, repair predator gaps and set up bedding and water for winter. A practical step-by-step checklist.