How we score chicken coops

We compare chicken coops and automatic coop doors from the brands' published product, warranty and returns pages and their US prices, read on the date shown on each page (last on November 14, 2026). We haven't assembled them or kept hens in them. Every product gets one score out of 10, and that score is the same on every page of the site.

What are the 9 criteria for a coop?

And the 7 criteria for an automatic door?

Coops and doors are different purchases, so each kind has its own criteria and its own median price. Both end on the same 10-point scale, and a door is never ranked against a coop.

How is each criterion scored?

Each criterion is turned into a score out of 10. The measurable ones use straight-line interpolation between the anchor points below, capped at both ends.

• Price (coops): the dated US price divided by the number of hens the brand says the coop houses, compared with the median of the coops ($188.20 per hen). Ratio to the median: 0.3× → 10, 0.6× → 9, 0.8× → 8, 1× → 7, 1.3× → 6, 1.6× → 5, 2× → 4, 2.5× → 3, 3× → 2.
• Price (doors): the dated US price, compared with the median of the doors ($144.45), on the same scale.
• Room per hen: the house floor area the brand publishes, divided by the hens it claims. Square feet per hen: 1 sq ft → 2, 1.5 sq ft → 4, 2 sq ft → 6, 3 sq ft → 8.5, 4 sq ft → 10. Our reference is the 3 sq ft of indoor space per bird that the University of Minnesota gives as a minimum (UMN Extension); every review also shows how many hens the house fits at that figure.
• Predator protection: one step for each protection the brand publishes, out of four: locking latches, welded mesh or hardware cloth, a dig barrier, a raised closed house. None 1, one 4, two 6.5, three 8.5, four 10. We quote what is published; no coop is predator-proof with its door left open.
• Warranty (years): 0.5 → 2.5, 1 → 4, 2 → 6, 3 → 7, 5 → 8, 10 → 9.5, 25 → 10.
• Cleaning: nothing stated 1, an access door only 4, a pull-out tray or stand-up access 7, a tray or deep litter plus surfaces you can hose 10.
• Weather: nothing stated 1, a weatherproof roof 4, plus adjustable ventilation or a heat barrier 7, plus insulated walls 10.
• Run: no run in the price 2; a run in the price, by its size per hen claimed: 2 sq ft → 4, 4 sq ft → 6, 10 sq ft → 10; included but with no published size, 5.
• Return window (days): 0 → 1, 14 → 4, 30 → 7, 60 → 8.5, 180 → 10. 2 points less when the policy carries a restocking fee or leaves return shipping to the buyer.
• Assembly (hours stated by the brand): 1 h → 10, 2 h → 8.5, 4 h → 7, 8 h → 5, 12 h → 3.5.
• Door, ways to open and close: a light sensor only 4, a light sensor and a timer 7, plus a phone app 10.
• Door, safety: out of two published features, an anti-pinch stop and a self-locking door: none 1, one 6, both 10.
• Door, power: batteries only 6; batteries with a mains option, or a built-in solar panel 8; batteries included with a solar or mains option 9.5.
• Door, cold: the lowest operating temperature stated: -20°F → 10, -4°F → 8.5, 14°F → 6, 32°F → 4.

Looks, colors and accessories are not criteria. Each review lists what is in the box and what you will have to add, so you can price it yourself.

What happens when a figure isn't published?

A criterion the brand doesn't publish scores 2/10. We can't credit what isn't stated, and a coop should not win on silence. A product with no published price, or fewer than 4 published criteria, gets no score at all.

How does the raw score become the score you see?

The raw score is the weighted average of the criteria. Every product we list is a current one sold on its maker's or seller's own US store, so we show it on an editorial scale: displayed score = 7.5 + 0.5 × (raw score − 3.6), kept between 7.5 and 9.6. The order of the raw scores never changes. Labels: Excellent from 9.0, Very good from 8.5, Good from 8.0, Fair below 8.0.

Why do two products never share a score?

Scores are shown with one decimal, so two products can round to the same number. When that happens, the order comes from the formula first and then from a published tie-break:

1. the higher raw score (before rounding);
2. then the lower price per hen for a coop, or the lower price for a door;
3. then the longer warranty;
4. then alphabetical order.

The product placed second then shows 0.1 less than the one above it, and so on down the list, so every displayed score is different and the order is still the formula's. Scores stay between 7.5 and 9.6. Right now this applies to the Omlet Eglu Pro (formula 9.2, shown 9.1), the Nestera Large Lodge (formula 9.0, shown 8.9), the Chickcozy Solar Door (formula 8.9, shown 8.8), the Aivituvin AIR46 Coop (formula 8.6, shown 8.5), the Roost & Root Stand-Up Coop (formula 8.5, shown 8.4), the OverEZ Large Coop (formula 8.4, shown 8.3), the Carolina Coops American Coop (formula 8.4, shown 8.2), the OverEZ Medium Coop (formula 8.3, shown 8.1), the OverEZ XL Coop (formula 8.2, shown 8.0), the Snap Lock Big Coop (formula 8.0, shown 7.9).

How are the rankings by need built?

Each coop ranking first keeps the coops that fit the need (a kit with a stated build time, a headcount of 6 to 12 or of 10 and more, a walk-in frame, at least two published protections, a price of $1,000 or less). Then it puts the same criteria in a different order of importance. The weights change the order of the list, never the score: each product keeps its one overall score everywhere. The automatic door ranking uses the door criteria above as they are.

Where does the data come from?

• Specs and prices come from the brand's official US product page and its warranty and returns pages. Every review links its sources.
• Prices are the price you could pay on the date shown, in US dollars, for the configuration the page opens on. When a brand shows a discount, we use the discounted price and say so, with the crossed-out price next to it. Coupon codes are not applied. Freight is not included unless the brand says shipping is free.
• Hen counts, dimensions and build times are quoted from the brand. Space, winter and predator statements quote university Extension pages, linked where we use them. Local rules (city codes, HOA covenants) vary: we say so and tell you how to check. We don't give legal or veterinary advice.
• We don't use user ratings or star averages from stores.

What are the current scores?

12 coops and 4 automatic doors today. Questions about the method? Write to contact@best-chicken-coops.com.