Disclosure: For this post, I received products to review from Cutest Coops. All opinions are my own and always will be! Thanks for supporting content that keeps Jojotastic going.
Trust me when I say this: I am incredibly picky when it comes to chicken coops. We’ve gone through 3 in 3 years! When I think back to the very first chicken coop we had, WOOF. It was a wreck. The coop was a hand-me-down from a friend and definitely on it’s last legs. Then for the One Room Challenge, we invested in another coop that was locally made… and then promptly hated it! It was poorly constructed, offered no insulation for the winter months, and the chicken run was impossible to clean out. So when I discovered Cutest Coops, my mouth literally dropped open. Without hyperbole, they are actually the cutest coops. Earlier this spring, they sent me their new Charming Coop so that we could have room for all the new baby chicks. After about 4-5 months of using our coop, I wanted to share a full review of Cutest Coops and share why they are so darn special!
My Full Cutest Coops Review + Tour of Our New Chicken Coop!
A little bit about Cutest Coops
Cutest Coops is an Ohio-based company that specialized in the most beautiful pre-made and custom-made chicken coops. Each coop is handmade by Amish craftsmen and truly so incredibly well-made. When it arrived, we were joking that the coop is actually sturdier than our house! The materials are builder-grade and meant to last. For example, you have the option of adding a metal roof which is great if you get a lot of weather like we do.
After about 3 years of urban chicken keeping, I’ve learned a lot about what to look for when selecting a coop… and our new Charming Coop really has it all. It arrived flat packed and took about 10-15 minutes to assemble. I was really blown away by how quickly it came together — plus, the packaging of the flat packed coop itself is intelligently designed to be used as well. For example, the perches are made of the shipping materials! I’m definitely a design nerd with a deeeep appreciation for smart touches like that.
The features of the Charming Coop (aka the perfect urban chicken coop!)
I think what I love the most about our hen house is how well it’s designed. The footprint is 4×4 feet, so it’s really the perfect option for a small yard like ours. And it maximizes vertical space without being too big.
Here are a few more features that Cutest Coops offers in all of their models:
- Easy to clean — each coop has a slide door in the back to help you remove dirty bedding and waste. Put down a tarp, rake the bedding onto it, take it to compost, and you’re done! The clean out door has a lock, too.
- Predator safety — I cannot stress this enough: Cutest Coops by far has the best features when it comes to keeping chickens safe from predators, including heavy screens on all windows and a lock on all doors.
- Accessibility — Because these coops are so well designed, they factor in needs like offering a standard height door. Each sidewall is a minimum of 5′ (with the exception of the Charming Coop) so that you can stand in them and not stress your back. I’m short though and I can stand in ours!
- Ventilation — I don’t think enough people talk about this when discussing coops. Ventilation is key to chickens leading happy, healthy lives. I love that Cutest Coops has made the ventilation safe from predators as well (something my last coop did NOT do).
- Quality materials — I’m not kidding at all about how well-made these coops are, but here’s a good example: the metal roof has a 50 years warranty! Additionally, all of the hardware (hinges, door lock, etc) are very heavy duty, too.
I filmed this IGTV coop tour to show off more of the features of our coop and how our chicken yard is laid out. Check it out to see it in action!
BTW, I totally lost the hook that the Charming Coop comes with to hang a wreath! So when you see me struggling with the wreath in the video, that’s why.
I love this shot because you can see how our hens are able to look into our living room!
Is the Charming Coop worth it?
TLDR: YES. I know I’m going to get a lot of questions about the cost of this chicken coop, especially since I always try to share affordable options here on the blog. And let me be clear, this coop costs more than any of the other coops I’ve tried (and hated). That being said, the price of this coop is totally justified. Here’s why, in my opinion: it’s a handmade, American-made item built by Amish experts with years of woodworking experience. The materials are top notch and the design is very carefully considered. Even the small details like real glass windows with predator-proof screens matter! All of these details and more add up to the Charming Coop being an investment. But it’s an investment that is SO worth it, especially when you love your chickens as much as we do. When we travel, I 100% know my hens are comfortable and as safe as can be against predators. As someone who actually put a camera inside the hen house to check in, having that confidence and peace of mind makes a huge difference. I care about my girls, so I want what’s best for them.
I also think that because this coop is so city-friendly, it’s worth the price. Many people don’t have the ability or means to completely build a custom coop from scratch — or even know where to start. We tried to build our own DIY coop and it was daunting despite how handy we are. The Charming Coop is a good middle ground because you can still alter it slightly as needed (for example, we added another perch inside), plus it comes primed so you can paint it whatever color you like. So you can still be hands on… just without being a carpenter.
Sean and I actually have started referring to it as our ‘forever coop’ because it’s literally going to last forever. If we ever move, you better believe this coop is coming with us!
I can honestly say that this is the first chicken coop that I’ve immediately loved and stayed in love with. It puts a smile on my face to glance out the living room window and see my happy girls around it. Every morning when I open their coop and greet them, it jumpstarts my day. And collecting eggs is another favorite activity thanks to how much I love our new chicken coop. I’m a weirdo who finds so much joy in chicken keeping… and I finally feel like someone is making coops that fit all of my criteria and love chickens as much as I do! Definitely be sure to check out Cutest Coops.
What is the footprint overall for the chicken zone?
Everything fenced in?
We have a tiny yard too but have always wanted chickens.
hi! This was at our previous home and the area was about 10×10′ maybe? Not 100% sure tbh, but yes it was all fully fenced with an 8′ fence.
I love your chicken setup and want to create something similar. I see the chicken yard has a rocky floor. How do you clean the chicken yard/run? Thanks for sharing your great setup!
Hi! We put down pea gravel to help with drainage when we lived in this home (we moved almost 2 years ago). We hosed it down and raked through the gravel along a schedule to maintain it. I hope that helps!
Thank you so much for this super helpful post and video, I’ve been wanting chickens for a while, but didn’t know how to set up our tiny backyard for them. This was just the inspiration I needed! Thank you!
so glad you found the post helpful!!