It is pretty small, so I would not use it for chickens. Can't use it for chicks either because you still need a heat lamp. What this could be ideal for is for quail. I had about 5 quail in here and it worked fine. You will need to put mesh at the base because predators will get in from underneath by digging. In my situation, the quail would not use the upper level so that was a waste. Honestly, it is way too small for most animals. I would not keep more than a tortoise or a couple quail in here.