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Chickens produce organic fertilizer, nutritious eggs and are don’t cost much to maintain. Either for pets, meat or whatever your reason is for choosing to own chickens, you’ll need to have a place for them to live,
Here you’ll find an honest review of the best chicken coop for four chickens. I’m pretty sure before the end of this article, you’d come across a coop that makes egg collection easy, waste removal simple, and your chickens will love.
8 Best Chicken Coop For 4 Chickens
SnapLock Formex Large Chicken Coop
Top Recommendation
- Company: SnapLock
- Rating: 4.4 / 5 stars
- Price: $
This remains the best chicken coop kit that you can buy both offline and offline, and it’s a perfect chicken coop for four chickens (it’s advertised as 4-6 large chickens or 6-12 bantam).
- It’s made in the USA!
- Comes with four nesting spot with removable dividers, and 3 36” roosts – lots of room for four birds to catch fun.
- It’s simple to clean; the lifting roofs and removable litter tray make cleaning easy.
- It HAS GREAT ventilation – even though it’s plastic, your birds will get sweet air movement in this house as there are large adjustable ventilation flaps on the back and front.
- It’s very sturdy but surprisingly light in weight.
- It’s quite easy to assemble – the pieces snap together, no tools needed!
- Collecting the eggs is as simple as lifting the roof flaps over the nesting spots and reaching in. The flaps also stay in position while you have them open, so they won’t slam on your arms as you reach in.
- Every opening locks shut with carabiner locks, which are great for keeping out the unwanted wildlife.
- If you desire a platform or ramp, you’ll need to add that separately.
- You need to access the coop from all sides; ideally, two ides to check for eggs, the main side from the door to allow the chickens out, and the back to access the two cleaning trays. This isn’t a problem for some, but if you plan to put your chicken coop against a wall, it may not be the best design for you.
It’s produced with heavy, high-grade plastic, and it’s dual-walled to make the inside cooler than wood. It’s chemical and water-resistant, as well as ultraviolent and impact resistant. (Think of kids plastic houses…the material is pretty much the same).
Because this is such a high-quality chicken coop, it’s going to cost a little extra to buy – it’s one of the few that costs over $500. Do I think it’s worth it? I do, and so many others.
Formex Snap Lock Standard Backyard Chicken Coop
- Company: SnapLock
- Rating: 4.1 / 5 stars
- Price: $
Admire the earlier SnapLock option’s materials and looks at the top of the list, but weren’t too crazy about the price. You’ll be happy to learn that there is a smaller, more economical, yet quite similar option available.
This “Standard” model is recommended to house 3-4 large chickens (the “Deluxe” model above was 4-6 if you recall).
This SnapLock Standard chicken coop is also one of the most popular choices for many, as its sturdy, easy to clean, and has great ventilation. It’s no wonder it made our list of best chicken coop for four chickens.
- It has three nesting spots with dividers that are removable and 3 36” roosts, so your hens will have lots of room to lay their eggs and sleep in.
- It has a great design: a removable litter tray makes it very simple to clean, egg collection is made simple with the roof over the nesting spots lifting (and holding in place while open), and adjustable ventilation flaps let you make your birds perfectly comfortable.
- All entryways are lockable with predator-resistant carabiner locks.
- It’s maintenance-free compared to wooden chicken coops! The double-walled plastic is chemical and water-resistant, ultraviolet and impact-resistant, and insulates nicely.
- Assembling is quite easy – you won’t need to get out of your toolbox, and it’s lightweight enough that one person can handle it on his/her own.
- It does not come with a stand, although weird enough, you’d get a manual with the kit on how to make one.
- Although cheaper than the Deluxe model, it is still a bit pricey compared to some of the wooden models (although if they require sealing, staining, or waterproofing, you’d need to add those costs in when comparing).
- You’re only getting the chicken coop, not a chicken coop with an enclosed run area.
The SnapLock standard is amazing if you want maintenance-free, simple to assemble, comfortable sized, and quality backyard chicken coop. It has sweet reviews, and is in my opinion, fairly priced, considering it’s going to last a lot longer than some of the cheaper options. It’s worth a closer look.
Pawhut Wooden Backyard Chicken Coop
- Company: Pawhut
- Rating: 3.8 / 5 stars
- Price: $
We are now leaving the plastic options and heading to more common wooden chicken coops. The Pawhut Wooden Backyard Chicken Coop should be one of your top options as it combines decent quality, nice looks, good size, and a fair price.
It’s crucial to note that this chicken coop is not a HUGE coop, but you should be able to keep four full-sized chickens in here. Pawhut does not recommend a max; in the chicken world, each owner does know what works and what doesn’t.
Comparisons and reviewers to others this size show that it should work fine for this number, but not much more.
What’s great is that the price isn’t too bad, and most people will be able to afford it. If you need a decent chicken coop and think wood is the best option, this chicken coop is a decent option.
Best Choice Products 80in Wooden Chicken Coop
- Company: Best Choice Products
- Rating: 3.8 / 5 stars
- Price: $
This is yet another best chicken coop for four chickens with a similar design to the model we just talked about; Pawhut with a raised housing area and decent-sized caged in the run area. It’s also a unit worthy of attention but a bit cheaper than the previous model.
This coop is made of weather-resistant fir wood, a warm honey color that you can either paint whatever colors you choose or enjoy the default honey color.
The roof as well is made of wood (not asphalt like above).
- You can access the nesting area to collect the eggs with ease; you lift the lid, and there are several other lockable entry-way and convenient cleaning, feeding, and general access to the coop.
- Like many other coops, it has a handy removable button sliding tray that makes cleaning easy.
- The total chicken coop area is enclosed with sturdy metal wire fencing, which makes it safe for your chickens to enjoy time outdoors without worrying about predators, as well as providing ventilation to the coop.
- The chicken coop kit includes the ramp leading up to the housing, where there is a sliding door that you control. It’s designed to give your chickens access to the nests and shade inside the coop and to the fresh air run area however they’d like.
- This is a fairly small coop. Although some people will be comfortable housing four chickens in this coop, if you won 4 LARGE chickens, you may take the suggestion of lots of reviewers that advises this is better for 2 or 3, max.
- You’ll likely want to do some staining and add sealant to the wood to make it even better weather resistant. The wood does not come treated, but more is advisable… which does mean assembly goes from “fairly uncomplicated” to “a bit more work.”
The Best Choice Products 80″ Chicken Coop is a great starter coop, and if you’re handy, you can customize and make it exactly what you want with minimal effort.
Some reviewers added that buying two and putting them together to create a large coop, painting the wood their preferred color, adding shingles, and different looks for more protection, just for a few ideas.
Petsfit Weatherproof Outdoor Chicken Coop with Nesting Box
- Company: Petsfit
- Rating: 3.7 / 5 stars
- Price: $
Here’s a chicken coop that is different in design from the past options. It’s low to the ground yet sits a couple of inches above it.
It’s available in a White/Grey combo and this red/white combo, so if you don’t like the red, you can opt for the second one.
This Petsfit Chicken coop is meant for 3-4 normal-sized chickens, and it comes with one large nesting box on the side split with a divider into 2. Collecting the eggs is simple – lift the lid and reach in. The ramp to the raised coop is added and also serves as the door when pulled up.
- It is easy to assemble, with manuals, pieces labeled, and pre-drilled holes.
- This chicken coop comes with a one-year warranty against damage, and the seller guarantees they will pay for replacing any damage incurred during shipping.
- It’s made from sturdy, rain-resistant fir wood, meant to be durable and long-lasting. Extra coats of sealant are a good idea, but to keep it nice for the long term.
- There’s good ventilation in this coop, even when the doors are locked. The boards below the coop have gaps between.
- Sadly, the roof of the coop cannot be opened if you follow assembly instructions completely. Most reviewers advise you to buy hinges and adapt them so you can lift the roof for easier access to the coop and easier cleaning.
- Cleaning this coop is NOT as easy as pulling out a removable litter tray. The three wooden floor panels can be lifted out for cleaning through the front “door,” but apparently, this is NOT the easiest thing in the world to do. Many reviewers also advise laying down linoleum on the wood floor panels to protect them from damage done by the droppings.
Generally, this coop is good value for the price it carries. Although you’d still have to add a run area for your chickens, this coop is a good overnight coop to protect your girls from weather elements and predators.
Buy some nesting boxes for egg-laying during the day.
Pawhut Deluxe Wooden Chicken Coop with Backyard Outdoor Run
- Company: Pawhut
- Rating: 3.6 / 5 stars
- Price: $
Here is another top chicken coop for four chickens from Pawhut, this time their “Deluxe” model with an outdoor backyard run that’s close to the coop instead of underneath it. It’s a rather simple layout but extremely functional – perfect for a few backyard chickens.
Pros:
- Your girls have access to many roosting poles inside as well as a large, divided nesting box. When you want to collect their eggs, it’s as easy as lifting the lid above the nesting box and reaching in.
- This wooden chicken coop is easy but smart design – the coop can be wide opened to be “fresh air school” or closed to make it more of a controlled environment coop. The whole roof can be opened or closed and peaked, as it’s built-in segments.
- It is made from premium China-Fir wood treated and painted/stained for protection against the elements.
- To make cleaning of droppings easy, It has the removable floor tray.
- Your chickens can get in and out of the coop with ease, as the ramp is not steep or too challenging for small birds.
CON’s:
- You’ll likely need to add at least an extra coat of sealant, as the wood is quite thin and soft.
- The mesh, while fairly decent strength and ability to keep your birds IN the cage, may not keep out determined heavier predators like foxes, coyotes all that well.
- The directions are pictorial and require some clever mental breakdown, but if you’re handy, you should be able to figure it out without too much stress.
Generally, this is not your most durable, long-lasting, well-built option, but for the price you’re paying, it’s a great choice if you have a few chickens to the house. Your chickens would be quite comfortable here!
TRIXIE Pet Products Chicken Coop Duplex with Outdoor Run
- Company: TRIXIE Pet Products
- Rating: 3.7 / 5 stars
- Price: $
Pretty sure you’ve come across this basic shape before twice above, but put together like this in a “duplex” style makes a great option if you have either four large breed birds who seem to enjoy their space or think perhaps you would be getting more birds in the future.
According to the specs, it is suitable for up to 10 bantams or six large fowl.
This duplex consists of 2 mirror image sleeping houses, both with sliding doors, entry ramps, and removable roosting poles.
Each house has one big nesting box with a removable divider that can make it into 2, so it’s quite a lot of space for your four ladies to make themselves at home.
More PROS:
- The outdoor run is big and feels nice! If you want to keep your birds separated somewhat for one reason or another, you can restrict them to just one side using the partition door in the middle. It works like magic.
- The dual houses are simple to clean, with removable plastic dropping trays.
- The nest boxes are made having hinged roofs with locking arms, so egg collection is simple.
- Your birds are safe from unwanted visitors with a close-mesh galvanized metal grid, metal slide latches and padlock fixtures.
- The coop comes with a one-year warranty, so you can buy with confidence that the coop will be to your liking.
CONS:
- To keep the coop weather-proof, you might need to add another coat of sealer before assembly, and possibly in the future again to keep the coop weather-proof.
- It’s one of a series of different chicken coops offered by Trixie Pet Products… sadly, customer comments on their Amazon page are for the whole range of units. This makes it more of a challenge to get the actual low-down on this specific unit.
Typically, if you’re someone bad at chicken maths and want to “err on the bigger side’, this is one of your better options. Lots of space in the coops, and a large run area, with a split to separate birds who are feeling “peckish.” It’s a good choice.
Zoovilla Country Style Chicken Coop
- Company: Zoovilla
- Rating: 3.9 / 5 stars
- Price: $
This is the last on our list or best chicken coop for four chickens and good reasons.
This particular chicken coop by Zoovilla has some style and pizazz to it that some of the others perhaps are lacking. It’s a stylish unit that does not have a large footprint – perhaps a good fit for an urban or smaller backyard.
This chicken coop holds up to size hens and comes with two large nesting boxes (each with a divider, creating four spaces). There is a ramp that leads up into the coop from the left side of the run area.
PROS:
- Each nesting box (one on each side) features a hinged roof that can be lifted for easy egg gathering.
- There are four locking doors for when you want to keep your chickens safely inside the coop… 2 on the run and two on the house.
- It’s simple to clean with the pull-out droppings tray.
- The roof has black asphalt for longevity, and the unit comes treated and pre-painted.
CONS:
- The run area under the house is fairly low, so if your taller breed of chickens may nt fit all that nicely.
- The nesting boxes are slighting higher than some other coops, making it possibly more difficult for children to help with egg collecting.
This is a great buy for the price. It’s worth a closer look if you find you want something a bit stylish, with good functionality and plenty of room.
What Size Chicken Coop Do I Need For 4 Chickens?
You’ll need a run/coop area that measures four by 4 feet (16 square ft). However, it is always best to provide them with as much space as you can. For chickens inside the run all the time (never free-ranging), you need to increase that number up to 10 square feet per bird.
What Every Good Chicken Coop Needs (A Buying Guide)
A decent poultry coop for four hens does not have to be so highly-priced. But, it should cover all of the following aspects nicely, or you should keep looking.
Nesting Boxes: Generally, chicken coops should have at least one nesting box for every three birds, minimum, meaning you need to look for a coop with two nesting boxes (or “1 large with a divider”). The nesting boxes should be placed in the coop’s darkest area and be off the ground. Ventilation: An excellent chicken coop should have air vents that allow fresh air inside, frequently. If not, you’ll have condensation building up inside every night and a high chance of respiratory health issues – even in the coldest weather.
You don’t want the vents at the same height on opposite walls; that creates a draft. Instead, make sure the vent areas are at different heights (warm air leaves high and cool air enters low).
Perches: Many if not all breeds of chickens like to roost on perches at night, and they naturally look for the highest point on which to perch.
So ensure the perches in the coop are placed slightly higher than the nesting boxes, or you’ll find your birds roost in the nests (which is when they tend to create the most droppings… meaning you may have dirty eggs to collect and cleaning made harder than it should be). Many chicken coops can be customized if you discover the one you build doesn’t have this, by the way. It would be best if you had about 8″ of perch space per chicken.
Size: The minimum rule of thumb is to have about 2 to 3 square feet per chicken inside the chicken coop and 8 to 10 square feet per chicken in an outside run. (Square footage is better, of course – many people will say 4 square feet per large fowl inside, and ten outside is minimum. If you have a smaller breed, you will be fine with a bit less, however.)
Read more on choosing a coop here or here, or check out this handy video:
Ready to enjoy your own backyard chickens?
Another option available is building your own, either from your design or through a plan you bought. I have no recommendations yet for non-chicken coop plans, though, sorry! That’s certainly a topic I’d be treating in the future.
There are loads of varying types of chicken coops on the market! Backyard coops come in different sizes, but not all can fit four chickens…and you can have a hard time finding one that is big enough. This post highlights some of the best chicken coops for four chickens that you can order online here. Have fun collecting and eating the delicious fresh eggs and watching/getting to know your girls! I hope you loved this guide on the best chicken coop for four chickens!
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