# The Hen Keeper

> Honest UK guides to chicken coops, kit and hen care


## Posts

- [How Much Does It Cost to Keep Chickens in the UK?](https://thehenkeeper.com/cost-of-keeping-chickens-uk/): A realistic breakdown of the cost of keeping backyard chickens in the UK — set-up costs, feed, bedding and health — plus ways to save.
- [Do Chickens Need Light in Winter? Egg Laying in the Dark Months](https://thehenkeeper.com/do-chickens-need-light-in-winter/): Why hens lay fewer eggs in a British winter, whether you should add a light to the coop and how to keep your flock happy until spring.
- [The Deep Litter Method for Chickens: A Simple UK Guide](https://thehenkeeper.com/deep-litter-method-chickens/): What is the deep litter method, how do you do it and is it right for your coop? A simple guide for UK backyard keepers.
- [Best Hemp Bedding for Chickens UK (2026)](https://thehenkeeper.com/best-hemp-bedding-for-chickens/): Why hemp bedding is so popular with UK hen keepers, the best bags to buy and how it compares with straw.
- [Omlet Automatic Door vs ChickenGuard: Which Is Best?](https://thehenkeeper.com/omlet-vs-chickenguard/): Omlet or ChickenGuard? We compare the UK’s two favourite automatic chicken coop doors on price, power, security and fit.
- [ChickenGuard Review: Is the UK’s Favourite Automatic Coop Door Worth It?](https://thehenkeeper.com/chickenguard-review/): Is ChickenGuard worth it? We look at the AIO Complete and PRO self-locking door — features, pros, cons and who they suit.
- [How Much Space Do Chickens Need? A Simple UK Guide](https://thehenkeeper.com/how-much-space-do-chickens-need/): How much coop, perch, nest box and run space do backyard hens need? A simple UK guide with practical minimums and signs of overcrowding.
- [Wooden vs Plastic Chicken Coops: Which Is Better?](https://thehenkeeper.com/wooden-vs-plastic-chicken-coops/): Wood or plastic? We compare price, cleaning, red mite, maintenance and lifespan to help UK keepers choose the right chicken coop.
- [Omlet Eglu Cube vs Eglu Go: Which Should You Buy?](https://thehenkeeper.com/omlet-eglu-cube-vs-eglu-go/): Omlet Eglu Cube or Eglu Go? We compare capacity, size and price to help UK keepers choose the right plastic coop.
- [Omlet Eglu Cube Review: Is It Worth the Money?](https://thehenkeeper.com/omlet-eglu-cube-review/): Is the Omlet Eglu Cube worth the high price? Features, pros and cons, and who Britain’s best-known plastic chicken coop suits.
- [Best Chicken Coops for 4–6 Hens UK (2026)](https://thehenkeeper.com/best-chicken-coops-for-4-6-hens/): Which chicken coops really fit four to six hens? Our UK picks, plus how much perch, nest and run space a small flock needs.
- [Best Poultry Disinfectants UK (2026): Keep Your Coop Clean and Safe](https://thehenkeeper.com/best-poultry-disinfectants-uk/): The best poultry house disinfectants for UK keepers — for routine cleaning, biosecurity and red mite — plus how to deep-clean a chicken coop.
- [How to Stop Rats Eating Chicken Feed: A Practical UK Guide](https://thehenkeeper.com/how-to-stop-rats-eating-chicken-feed/): Rats in the chicken run? Practical ways to keep rats away from chicken feed, from treadle feeders and metal bins to rat-proofing the coop.
- [Best Rat-Proof Treadle Chicken Feeders UK (2026)](https://thehenkeeper.com/best-treadle-chicken-feeders-uk/): The best rat-proof treadle feeders for UK hens in 2026, plus how to train your flock to use one.
- [Best Chicken Run Covers UK (2026): Keep Hens Dry and Bird Flu Ready](https://thehenkeeper.com/best-chicken-run-covers-uk/): How to cover a chicken run in the UK — the best tarpaulins and purpose-made covers, plus tips for wind, rain and bird flu housing measures.
- [Best Walk-In Chicken Runs UK (2026): Space, Shelter and Security](https://thehenkeeper.com/best-walk-in-chicken-runs-uk/): The best walk-in chicken runs on Amazon UK in 2026 — galvanised steel runs in every size, with tips to make them fox-proof.
- [Best Plastic Chicken Coops UK (2026): Easy to Clean, Hard for Red Mite](https://thehenkeeper.com/best-plastic-chicken-coops-uk/): The best plastic and plastic-panel chicken coops for UK gardens — Omlet Eglu models and a budget alternative — and why plastic makes red mite easier to control.
- [How to Hatch Chicken Eggs in an Incubator: A Step-by-Step Guide](https://thehenkeeper.com/how-to-hatch-chicken-eggs-in-an-incubator/): A step-by-step guide to hatching chicken eggs at home — setting up the incubator, temperature and humidity, candling, lockdown and caring for new chicks.
- [Brinsea Mini II Advance Review: Is It Worth It for Backyard Keepers?](https://thehenkeeper.com/brinsea-mini-ii-advance-review/): Is the British-made Brinsea Mini II Advance the best small incubator for hatching chicks at home? Features, pros, cons and who it suits.
- [Best Egg Incubators UK (2026): From Brinsea to Budget](https://thehenkeeper.com/best-egg-incubators-uk/): The best egg incubators for hatching chicks at home in the UK — Brinsea, GQF and budget models compared, with tips on choosing the right size.
- [Best Chicken Drinkers UK (2026): Clean Water All Year Round](https://thehenkeeper.com/best-chicken-drinkers-uk/): The best chicken drinkers for UK keepers in 2026 — insulated, large-capacity, budget and frost-free options, plus tips to keep water clean and stop it freezing.
- [Do You Need to Register Your Chickens in the UK? (2026 Rules Explained)](https://thehenkeeper.com/do-you-need-to-register-chickens-uk/): Since 2024, every poultry keeper in Great Britain must register their birds — even pet hens. Here’s who needs to register, how to do it and what else the law says about garden chickens.
- [How to Fox-Proof a Chicken Coop and Run: A UK Keeper’s Guide](https://thehenkeeper.com/how-to-fox-proof-a-chicken-coop/): Foxes are the biggest threat to backyard hens in the UK. Here’s how to fox-proof your coop and run, from automatic doors and welded mesh to stopping foxes digging under.
- [Best Solar and Wi-Fi Automatic Chicken Coop Doors UK (2026)](https://thehenkeeper.com/best-solar-wifi-chicken-coop-doors-uk/): Do solar coop doors work in a British winter, and is Wi-Fi worth it? We compare the best solar and smart automatic chicken coop doors on Amazon UK.
- [Keeping Chickens in Your Back Garden: A UK Beginner’s Guide](https://thehenkeeper.com/keeping-chickens-uk-beginners-guide/): Everything you need to know before getting backyard hens in the UK — the rules, how many to keep, the kit you need, what it costs and the daily routine.
- [How to Get Rid of Red Mite in Chickens: A Step-by-Step UK Guide](https://thehenkeeper.com/how-to-get-rid-of-red-mite/): How to spot red mite in your hen house, clear an infestation step by step and stop it coming back — plus the best red mite treatments available in the UK.
- [Best Chicken Bedding UK (2026): Straw vs Hemp vs Shavings](https://thehenkeeper.com/best-chicken-bedding-uk/): Straw, hemp or shavings? We compare the best chicken bedding for UK coops in 2026, with the top bags to buy and what to avoid.
- [Best Chicken Feeders UK (2026): Rat-Proof and No-Waste Picks](https://thehenkeeper.com/best-chicken-feeders-uk/): The best chicken feeders for UK keepers in 2026 — treadle, no-waste and budget feeders compared, plus how to keep rats away from your hens’ food.
- [Best Automatic Chicken Coop Doors UK (2026): Keep the Fox Out While You Sleep](https://thehenkeeper.com/best-automatic-chicken-coop-doors-uk/): The best automatic chicken coop doors for UK keepers in 2026 — solar, battery and fox-proof self-locking doors compared, with advice on timers, light sensors and winter.
- [Best Chicken Coops UK (2026): Our Top Picks for Every Garden](https://thehenkeeper.com/best-chicken-coops-uk/): The best chicken coops for UK gardens in 2026 — wooden, plastic and mobile coops compared, with honest advice on size, red mite and keeping the fox out.

## Pages

- [Contact](https://thehenkeeper.com/contact/): We’d love to hear from you — whether you have a question about keeping hens, a correction to one of our guides or a product you think we should look at.
- [Affiliate Disclosure](https://thehenkeeper.com/affiliate-disclosure/): The Hen Keeper is reader-supported. Some of the links on this website are affiliate links. If you click one and make a purchase, we may earn a commission.
- [How We Test](https://thehenkeeper.com/how-we-test/): Every guide on The Hen Keeper is written to answer one question: would this actually work in a typical UK back garden?
- [About](https://thehenkeeper.com/about/): The Hen Keeper is an independent UK website for people who keep, or want to keep, a few hens in the back garden.
- [Privacy Policy](https://thehenkeeper.com/privacy-policy/): This policy explains what information The Hen Keeper (thehenkeeper.com) collects when you visit the site, how it is used and the choices you have.


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