About Coop Criteria
Coop Criteria is an independent research site for backyard chicken keepers in the United States. We publish buying guides, comparisons and free calculators for the decisions that cost real money: coops, automatic doors, feeders, waterers, brooding gear and winter equipment.
Every guide is researched, written and reviewed under the Coop Criteria name, the byline on all of our work and the organization named in each article's review metadata. One name, one standard, applied to every guide equally.
What's on the site
- Buying guides built around one habit: every maker's capacity claim gets re-rated against published floor dimensions and the 4 sq ft per bird standard, with the math shown. Our standing dataset keeps the score, and so far every coop checked has overstated its bird count.
- Free calculators for the numbers keepers actually need: coop and run size, brooder temperature week by week, feed cost, flock economics and winter waterer capacity. They run in your browser; nothing you enter leaves it.
- A breed library covering cold hardiness, temperament, egg production and broodiness for each breed, so the flock math starts with birds that fit your climate and your yard.
- A seasonal deal tracker that lists each brand's current prices so sale claims can be judged against something. No coupon codes, no rumors.
How the site is funded
Research is paid for out of our own budget. Today the site earns nothing: no affiliate program is live, so no shopping link on this site pays us a commission. When that changes, some outbound shopping links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. That will be the only revenue, disclosed on every affected page, and it will never buy a placement or a verdict. The current program list lives on the affiliate disclosure page. Brands do not get to see or approve our guides before publication.
How guides change
Specs, prices and product lines move, so guides are updated on a rolling schedule and each one shows its last-updated date. When a reader catches a verified error, the fix goes into the guide.
What we will not do
- We don't publish fake "hands-on" reviews. If we haven't used a product, the guide says so plainly and tells you where each claim comes from.
- We don't accept free products, sponsorships or paid placements.
- We don't quote capacities from marketing boxes — we re-rate them against recognized space standards and show the math.
- We don't give veterinary advice. Health questions belong with a poultry vet; we link out instead of guessing.
How to reach us
Corrections and suggestions are welcome and get a public fix when valid. To report one, use the contact page.