HomeSheek Predator-Proof Wooden Hen House

Every site like this one needs an example that shows the method working, and this is ours. It is not a bad coop for what it physically is. It is sold as something several times larger than it is.

The arithmetic

Two claims, both worth checking

The listing carries a capacity claim and a security claim, and they fail independently. The capacity claim fails on arithmetic anyone can repeat. The security claim - predator-proof - is not accompanied anywhere by a mesh aperture, a wire gauge or a latch type, which are the only three specifications that would let you evaluate it.

What the coop actually is

A compact three-hen wooden coop with a run, at a price that reflects its size. Read that way it is a reasonable product for a small flock and it appears on the ten-bird roundup precisely as the illustration of what does not work at that size. Read as a ten-bird coop it is a purchase you will regret by the second wet month.

The full write-up

Top pick · Nothing at the claimed size

HomeSheek Predator-Proof Wooden Hen House

15.2 sq ft against a claim of ten hens. That is the largest overstatement in this research pass, and it is not close.

What the numbers say

Published footprint15.2 sq ftHonest count3 hensMaker claims10

69.5in x 31.5in = 15.2 sq ft of whole-unit footprint, which includes the attached run and is therefore generous. At 4 sq ft per standard hen that is 3 birds, against a claim of 10.

Figures from HomeSheek published specifications (Amazon listing) · 69.5"L x 31.5"W x 59.1"H · Wood

15.2 sq ft is three standard hens. The listing claims six to ten. The top of that range is more than three times what the ground area supports.

This is the coop that makes the case for this whole site. Nothing about the listing looks dishonest - it reads like every other coop page - and the tape measure disagrees with it by seven birds.

The predator-proof description refers to the latch and mesh, not to the sizing. Both things can be true: it can be a secure coop and still be a three-hen one.

Good

• Tall at 59in, so the interior is not cramped vertically
• Predator-resistant hardware is a genuine feature
• Two nesting boxes is right for the flock it actually holds

Not so good

• Ten is seven birds past the floor area - the worst gap here
• 31.5in depth for a coop sold to ten-bird flocks
• Buying on the claim would mean severe overcrowding

Skip this if: you are buying it for six to ten birds, which is what it is sold for. At three hens it is a reasonable coop; at ten it is a welfare problem.

Check price on Amazon

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How to avoid buying the wrong size

Multiply the two published numbers, divide by 144, divide by 4. It takes thirty seconds and it works on every listing in the category. The full method is on what a coop listing means by holds 6 chickens, and the calculator does it the other way round - from your flock to the floor area you need.