Prices checked Nov 14, 2026. No. 1 today: Omlet Eglu CubeEglu Cube, 9.2/10. See the ranking

Head-to-headsHow we score
A fox crossing a backyard in daylight

Best predator-proof chicken coops: locks, mesh and dig barriers

10 coops ranked with locks, mesh and raised houses counting for 45%; no coop is predator-proof without a closed door at dusk.

Photo: Brett Jordan / Unsplash
No. 1 here

Roost & Root Stand-Up Coop

8.4/10Good$3,349at Roost & Root, checked November 14, 2026

Check price at Roost & Root

The 10 coops, in order

How this order is built

Ranked on the "Predator protection" weights. Each product keeps its one overall score.

Best overallWalk-in coop

Roost & Root Stand-Up Coop

Best for four to six hens in a small yard, if you want coop and run in one cedar piece you can stand in.

  • 6 hens, says Roost & Root
  • House size not published
  • Wood
  • Run included, 27 sq ft
  • 2-year warranty
  • Run included: 26.6 sq ft of footprint for house and run together
  • 100% cedar, stainless steel hardware and welded livestock wire
  • 85 in tall outside: you clean and collect eggs standing up

The catch: The price: $3,349 for six hens, before shipping, which is calculated in the cart. Roost & Root doesn't publish the size of the hen house on its own, so we can't check the space per hen. No droppings tray is described. In a cold or wet climate you'll add the storm panel set ($299).

8.4/10Good

$3,349$3,890

at Roost & Root, checked November 14, 2026Check price at Roost & Root Read the Roost & Root Stand-Up Coop review
Best for 10+ hensWalk-in coop

Roost & Root Walk-In Coop

Best for a big flock kept full time in one handsome structure, if the budget follows.

  • 20 hens, says Roost & Root
  • House size not published
  • Wood
  • Run included, 76 sq ft
  • 2-year warranty
  • 76 sq ft footprint with the run built in and full standing height
  • Removable 8 ft roost bars; Roost & Root cites "roost bar space for up to 30 hens"
  • 100% cedar, stainless hardware, welded livestock wire

The catch: $6,599 before freight, the highest price here by a wide margin. "Two people are needed to complete assembly which takes about 8-12 hours." The hen house size isn't published on its own, the number of egg boxes neither. No tray: you clean with a shovel, standing.

8.6/10Very good

$6,599$7,380

at Roost & Root, checked November 14, 2026Check price at Roost & Root Read the Roost & Root Walk-In Coop review
Walk-in coop

Carolina Coops American Coop

Best for a permanent flock of 8 to 15 hens, when you want to clean once a year and walk in to do it.

  • 18 hens, says Carolina Coops
  • 8 hens at 3 sq ft each
  • Wood
  • Run included, 72 sq ft
  • warranty not stated
  • Half-inch, 19-gauge PVC-coated hardware cloth on every opening, with lockable doors
  • Deep-litter basin lined with Acre: "no cleaning for at least a year or longer" (Carolina Coops)
  • The whole 6 x 12 ft footprint is a covered run, 7.5 ft at the peak, so you stand up in it

The catch: It ships unpainted and unassembled on a pallet, about 1,200 lb of it, with a lead time of around 4 weeks and freight on top. The pages we read state no warranty length. Returns are 14 days, unused and unassembled, minus a 20% restocking fee (about $1,000) plus the freight back. And "up to 18 chickens" leaves each bird 1.3 sq ft of henhouse.

8.2/10Good

$4,999.99

at Carolina Coops, checked November 14, 2026Check price at Carolina Coops Read the Carolina Coops American Coop review
Best priceCoop

Omlet Eglu Cube

Best for a small backyard flock you want to clean out in ten minutes, not an afternoon.

  • 6 hens, says Omlet
  • 3 hens at 3 sq ft each
  • Plastic
  • No run in the price
  • 10-year warranty
  • Slide-out droppings tray and wipe-clean plastic: Omlet says it "deep cleans in 10 minutes"
  • Twin-wall house, "two inch insulated panels" according to Omlet
  • Two-step push-and-twist locks on the back door and the egg port

The catch: The price is the house alone: the 6 ft run adds $240 and the 9 ft run $360, and you'll want one. Floor space is 10 sq ft, about 1.7 sq ft per hen at Omlet's count of six, well under the 3 sq ft that extension services advise for birds that stay in. Omlet gives no build time, only that "it's a big coop and may take some time".

9.2/10Excellent

$1,119$1,399

at Omlet, checked November 14, 2026Check price at Omlet Read the Omlet Eglu Cube review
Coop

Omlet Eglu Pro

Best for a flock of 6 to 10 hens, if you want Omlet's easy cleaning in a bigger house.

  • 10 hens, says Omlet
  • 5 hens at 3 sq ft each
  • Plastic
  • No run in the price
  • 10-year warranty
  • 16.7 sq ft of house, two-thirds more floor than the Eglu Cube
  • Two removable trays and removable back panels: "deep clean in under 10 minutes" (Omlet)
  • 2 inches of insulation and adjustable ventilation, plus a panel that lets daylight in

The catch: It costs $960 more than the Cube before you add a run, and the run is dearer too: +$400 for 6 ft, +$720 for 9 ft. At Omlet's count of ten, each hen has 1.7 sq ft of house, the same squeeze as in the Cube. No build time is given; Omlet suggests doing it with friends.

9.1/10Excellent

$2,079$2,599

at Omlet, checked November 14, 2026Check price at Omlet Read the Omlet Eglu Pro review
Coop with run

Aivituvin AIR46 Coop

Best for a first flock on a tight budget, if you'll reinforce it and don't expect ten years.

  • 8 hens, says Aivituvin
  • House size not published
  • Wood
  • Run included, 41 sq ft
  • warranty not stated
  • $459.99 with the run included: about $57 per hen at Aivituvin's count of eight
  • Enclosed galvanised wire run under and beside the house, 41.17 sq ft in all
  • Six nesting boxes and a pull-out tray

The catch: Aivituvin states no warranty length. The house size isn't published on its own: 41.17 sq ft is house and run together. The page gives no insulation or ventilation figure, so it scores lowest of the 12 for weather. The anti-dig wire floor ($59.99) and the automatic door ($109.99) were both sold out that day.

8.5/10Very good

$459.99

at Aivituvin, checked November 14, 2026Check price at Aivituvin Read the Aivituvin AIR46 Coop review
Coop

Omlet Eglu Go Up

Best for two or three hens in a small yard, when you want a raised coop you can move.

  • 3 hens, says Omlet
  • 2 hens at 3 sq ft each
  • Plastic
  • No run in the price
  • 2-year warranty
  • 6.4 sq ft for 3 hens: the most room per hen of the three Omlet coops
  • Slide-out tray; "wipe or jet wash inside and out", says Omlet
  • Raised frame with a ladder, so hens have shade and dry ground underneath

The catch: Three hens is the ceiling: there's no growing this coop. The warranty is 2 years where the Cube and Pro get 10. The run is extra (+$240 for 6 ft, +$360 for 9 ft), and so are the wheels.

9.0/10Excellent

$639$799

at Omlet, checked November 14, 2026Check price at Omlet Read the Omlet Eglu Go Up review
Coop

OverEZ Large Coop

Best for 10 to 12 hens in a wooden coop, at the lowest price per hen of the big ones.

  • 15 hens, says OverEZ
  • 10 hens at 3 sq ft each
  • Wood
  • No run in the price
  • warranty not stated
  • 30.8 sq ft of footprint: the only coop here that fits ten hens by the 3 sq ft rule for under $3,000
  • Five nesting boxes under a lockable lid
  • A 20 x 43 in man door: you step in to clean

The catch: No run in the price (wire panels were $299.99, wooden runs much more). No droppings tray is described. OverEZ states no warranty length, and a return means a 5% restocking fee plus shipping back a coop this size. Roost length isn't published, so you can't check that 15 birds sleep side by side.

8.3/10Good

$2,499

at OverEZ, checked November 14, 2026Check price at OverEZ Read the OverEZ Large Coop review
Coop

OverEZ Medium Coop

Best for 6 to 8 hens and a keeper who wants a wooden coop standing by lunchtime.

  • 10 hens, says OverEZ
  • 6 hens at 3 sq ft each
  • Wood
  • No run in the price
  • warranty not stated
  • "Assembling in less than 60 minutes with only a screw gun" (OverEZ)
  • 18.3 sq ft of footprint: six hens at the 3 sq ft rule
  • Lockable latches on the egg box, the man door and the chicken door

The catch: There's no run: OverEZ's 8 ft wooden run costs as much as the coop ($1,899). Cleaning means reaching through a 17 x 38 in door, with no tray or removable floor described. The warranty length isn't stated; the "100% Quality Guarantee" we read covers shipping damage. Returns cost a 5% restocking fee plus the shipping back.

8.1/10Good

$1,899

at OverEZ, checked November 14, 2026Check price at OverEZ Read the OverEZ Medium Coop review
Coop

OverEZ XL Coop

Best for a flock of 13 to 18 hens that needs one big wooden henhouse.

  • 20 hens, says OverEZ
  • 13 hens at 3 sq ft each
  • Wood
  • No run in the price
  • warranty not stated
  • 40.8 sq ft of footprint: 13 hens at 3 sq ft each, the most of any coop that publishes its house size
  • Six nesting boxes under a lockable lid
  • Three opening screened windows, two gable vents, radiant-barrier ceiling

The catch: $1,000 more than the Large for 10 sq ft. No build time: OverEZ only says "Assembly required". No run, no tray, no stated warranty length, and the 5% restocking fee applies. It ships in 5 to 15 business days.

8.0/10Good

$3,499

at OverEZ, checked November 14, 2026Check price at OverEZ Read the OverEZ XL Coop review

The first six, side by side

Open the comparison tool
Best predator-proof chicken coops: locks, mesh and dig barriers: comparison table
Product
Roost & Root Stand-Up Coop8.4/10$3,349 · Nov 14, 2026
Roost & Root Walk-In Coop8.6/10$6,599 · Nov 14, 2026
Carolina Coops American Coop8.2/10$4,999.99 · Nov 14, 2026
Omlet Eglu Cube9.2/10$1,119 · Nov 14, 2026
Omlet Eglu Pro9.1/10$2,079 · Nov 14, 2026
Aivituvin AIR46 Coop8.5/10$459.99 · Nov 14, 2026
Hens, says the brand6 hens20 hens18 hens6 hens10 hens8 hens
Hens at 3 sq ft eachHouse size not publishedHouse size not published8 hens3 hens5 hensHouse size not published
MaterialWoodWoodWoodPlasticPlasticWood
RunIncluded, 27 sq ftIncluded, 76 sq ftIncluded, 72 sq ftNot includedNot includedIncluded, 41 sq ft
Predator protection publishedLocking latches, welded mesh, raised houseLocking latches, welded mesh, raised houseLocking latches, welded mesh, raised houseLocking latches, raised houseLocking latches, raised houseLocking latches, welded mesh
CleaningStand-up accessStand-up accessDeep litter, walk inTray, hose-clean plasticTray, hose-clean plasticPull-out tray
Warranty2-year2-yearNot stated10-year10-yearNot stated
Where to buyCheck price at Roost & Root Check price at Roost & Root Check price at Carolina Coops Check price at Omlet Check price at Omlet Check price at Aivituvin

✓ marks the best figure of the row. "Not stated" means the brand doesn't publish it. Each product keeps its one overall score; this page only changes the order. Prices checked November 14, 2026.

Hard to choose?

Compare the top 3
A brown hen standing in front of a coop rampCoop kits5 ranked · No. 1: Aivituvin AIR46 Coop, 8.5/10Three hens, one brown and two black, in a backyardFor 4 to 6 hens6 ranked · No. 1: Omlet Eglu Cube, 9.2/10A keeper sitting on a rock while a flock of chickens ranges across a lawn under the treesFor 10+ hens7 ranked · No. 1: Omlet Eglu Pro, 9.1/10

What to know before you choose

No chicken coop is predator proof. Some are far harder to get into than others, and the difference is in four details you can check on a product page: latches that lock, welded mesh or hardware cloth instead of chicken wire, a barrier against digging, and a closed house raised off the ground.

The mesh is the one people miss. Weasels "typically can get through chicken wire", says the Extension predator guide (a least weasel needs only a quarter-inch hole); raccoons sometimes pull a bird's head through the wires of an enclosure. The same guide recommends burying hardware cloth at least 12 inches to stop diggers, and a covered run against hawks and owls.

On this page those protections count for 45% of the order. The Roost & Root Stand-Up comes first, with welded livestock wire, heavy-duty latches and a closed raised roost area. The American Coop is the only one that states half-inch hardware cloth. None of the ten includes a dig barrier with the base coop: Omlet's anti-dig skirt comes with its run, which you add. Whatever you buy, the last protection is a door shut at dusk, by you or by an automatic coop door.

How this ranking is weighted

Every product keeps its overall score from the public formula. For this page we re-order the eligible products with the "Predator protection" weights: predator protection published 45%, run included in the price 15%, room per hen 10%, warranty 10%, and the rest for the other 5 criteria. The full table is on the methodology page.

Head-to-heads between products of this list: Omlet Eglu Cube vs Omlet Eglu Pro, OverEZ Large Coop vs OverEZ Medium Coop, OverEZ Large Coop vs OverEZ XL Coop, Roost & Root Walk-In Coop vs Roost & Root Stand-Up Coop, Omlet Eglu Go Up vs Aivituvin AIR46 Coop, Omlet Eglu Pro vs OverEZ Medium Coop.

Other rankings: best chicken coops, all ranked, chicken coop kit, chicken coop for 6 chickens, chicken coop for 10 chickens, walk in chicken coop, cheap chicken coop, automatic chicken coop door.

Hen counts, dimensions and warranty terms are each brand's own figures. City codes and HOA covenants decide whether you can keep hens and where a coop may sit: check yours before you order. This page helps you buy; it isn't legal or veterinary advice.

By Hannah Prescott, editor, backyard chicken coops · updated November 14, 2026

Guides that go with this ranking

All guides

Predator protection: questions buyers ask

More answers in our chicken coop guides
What is the most predator-proof chicken coop?
On our weights, the Roost & Root Stand-Up, then the Roost & Root Walk-In and the Carolina Coops American Coop: each publishes three of the four protections we look for. None is predator proof without a dig barrier and a closed door at night.
Is chicken wire enough to keep predators out?
No. The Extension predator guide notes that weasels typically get through chicken wire. Use welded wire or hardware cloth with a small mesh, at least on the lower part of the run.
How do I stop predators digging under the coop?
Bury hardware cloth at least 12 inches into the ground around the run, as the Extension guide advises, or lay it flat as an apron. Omlet's runs come with an anti-dig skirt for the same purpose.
Do automatic doors protect chickens from predators?
They close the pop hole at dusk even when you're late, which is when owls and raccoons hunt. Choose one that locks when closed: see our automatic chicken coop door ranking.

Some links are affiliate links: if you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes our scores. Our disclosure. Brand names belong to their owners; hen counts, dimensions and warranty terms are each brand's own figures. City codes and HOA rules decide whether you can keep hens: check yours before you order.

Not sure which coop fits your flock? Ask Hannah

Tell her how many hens you plan, how much yard you have, your winters and your budget. She answers within two working days with two or three coops from the ranking, and why.

Email Hannah