What to know before you choose
Six is the classic backyard number: enough eggs for a family, few enough hens to know by name, and often the legal limit in town. It's also where coop marketing gets optimistic. Many "6 chicken" coops give each hen less than 2 sq ft of house.
By the 3 sq ft per bird that UMN Extension gives as a minimum indoors, six hens need 18 sq ft. Among the coops sold for 6 to 12 hens, only the OverEZ Medium (18.3 sq ft) publishes a house that big. The others count on a run: fine if your hens are out all day, tight if winter keeps them in.
The best coop for six on our formula is the Omlet Eglu Cube (9.2/10), provided you add its run. The Eglu Pro gives six hens a comfortable 2.8 sq ft each. On a budget, the Aivituvin AIR46 includes a run for $459.99.
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 "Overall" weights: price per hen the brand says it houses 15%, room per hen 15%, predator protection published 15%, warranty 15%, 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, Omlet Eglu Pro vs OverEZ Medium Coop.
Other rankings: best chicken coops, all ranked, chicken coop kit, chicken coop for 10 chickens, walk in chicken coop, predator proof 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