Eggshell

What Eggshell does

Eggshell Online is a UK-based, privately held direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer founded in 2012 and headquartered in Lancing, West Sussex. The company sells wooden housing and accessories for small animals — principally chicken coops and houses, chicken runs, and rabbit hutches — alongside accessories such as organic flea and red mite powder, coop and hutch covers, and automatic door openers. Its core technical differentiator is a 3mm plastic-coated welded wire construction (marketed as three times stronger than standard 1mm chicken wire) combined with galvanised locks, marketed under a 100% fox-proof guarantee. The portfolio spans entry-level static coops (Noah's Ark, from £249.99) through mid-range portable designs (Windsor, from £299.99) to premium chicken houses (Nelly Air, £359.99–£429.99) and walk-in runs up to 3m x 8m (£470.99).

Revenue is generated entirely through hardware sales via owned channels: the eggshellonline.co.uk e-commerce storefront (with free next-day delivery on mainland UK orders placed before 2pm), a phone-ordering line, and direct bespoke B2B enquiries. Pricing is unit-based with no subscription layer; promotional cycles (e.g., July Sale up to 40% off, SAVE5 discount code) are used to drive volume. The 'Personal Factory' service is a B2B extension offering custom-designed coops to retailers, breeders, and farms at a 50-unit minimum order quantity, enabling branded or bespoke wholesale supply.

The customer base is fragmented across individual backyard chicken keepers, rabbit owners, and hobby/smallholders in the UK, supported by a long-running educational content strategy (blog archive from 2012, dedicated resource centre) and a verified-review partnership with Reviews.co.uk (4.7/5 average rating). The firm is bootstrapped, with no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, no M&A activity, and a headcount band of 11–50 employees. Strategic partners include Stripe (payments), Reviews.co.uk (reviews), and Martins Wood Farm (referral hen supplier). International expansion, app, API, and AI capabilities are not indicated in the source data.

Name

Eggshell

Legal name

Eggshell Online

Website

https://eggshellonline.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Eggshell Online is a UK direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer founded in 2012 that sells fox-proof wooden chicken coops, chicken houses, runs, rabbit hutches, and accessories to individual backyard keepers and smallholders in the UK, with a bespoke B2B manufacturing service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Poultry & Small Animal Housing

akta.pro primary industry

Bird Supplies Retail (CRALAHAK)

Keywords

• Wooden chicken coops
• Rabbit hutches
• Chicken runs
• Poultry housing
• Small animal shelters

Headquarters

HQ city

Lancing

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales - Chicken Coops & Houses: One-time purchase revenue from selling chicken coops and houses directly to consumers through their e-commerce website. Products range from basic static coops to portable XL models with various price points.
2. Product Sales - Chicken Runs: Sale of walk-in chicken and rabbit runs in various sizes (3m x 4m, 3m x 6m, 3m x 8m) as standalone products or complements to coops.
3. Product Sales - Rabbit Hutches: Sale of two-tier rabbit hutches available in grey and natural finishes, in various sizes. Both static and portable options available.
4. Accessories: Sale of complementary products including organic flea and red mite powder, coop and hutch covers, automatic door openers, and other chicken/rabbit care accessories.
5. Ex-Display Products: Sale of ex-display products at discounted prices, providing a clearance channel for display models.
6. Personal Factory - Bespoke Manufacturing: B2B service offering custom-designed chicken coops, houses, and runs for retailers, breeders, and farms. Minimum order quantity of 50 units. Customers provide design specifications and receive competitive pricing with bespoke manufacturing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Eggshell designs, manufactures, and retails wooden chicken coops, chicken houses, rabbit hutches, and walk-in chicken/rabbit runs sold direct-to-consumer through its UK e-commerce store, with accessories such as covers and automatic door openers. It also offers a 'Personal Factory' bespoke manufacturing service for B2B retailers, breeders, and farms ordering custom-branded products in minimum quantities of 50 units.

Product overview

Eggshell Online is a UK e-commerce business specialising in quality chicken coops, chicken houses, rabbit hutches, chicken runs, and accessories. Its product portfolio includes fox-resistant portable and static chicken coops (Windsor Design, Nelly Air, Noah's Ark, Buckingham), two-tier rabbit hutches in grey and natural finishes, and walk-in chicken and rabbit runs in three sizes (3m×4m, 3m×6m, 3m×8m). Accessories include organic flea and red mite powder, coop/hutch covers, and automatic door openers. A bespoke manufacturing service called 'Personal Factory' allows retailers, breeders, and farms to order custom-branded products in minimum quantities of 50 units. The company also sells ex-display products at discounted prices. All chicken coops feature 3mm plastic-coated welded wire construction and galvanised locks for fox resistance, and many coops come with integrated wheels for portability. Next-day delivery is available on mainland UK orders placed before 2 pm.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Portable Windsor Design Chicken Coop & Run – Fox Resistant A portable fox-resistant chicken coop and run designed to house 4–8 chickens depending on size, type, and breed. Features integrated nest boxes, plastic-coated welded wire for fox resistance, and wheels for portability. Targeted at individual backyard chicken keepers in the UK.
• Windsor Design Chicken Coop & Run – Fox Resistant A static fox-resistant chicken coop and run in Windsor design, suitable for 4–8 chickens depending on size, type, and breed. Features integrated nest boxes and galvanised locks for added security.
• The Noah's Ark Chicken Coop A static chicken coop in an ark design, suitable for 2–4 chickens depending on size, type, and breed. Designed with fox resistance and integrated nest boxes for small-scale backyard keepers.
• Nelly Air Chicken House A static chicken house designed to accommodate 12–15 chickens, featuring integrated nest boxes, proper ventilation, and an optional portable configuration. Fox-resistant construction using 3mm welded plastic-coated wire.
• Portable Nelly Air Chicken House A portable version of the Nelly Air Chicken House, fox-resistant, with wheels for easy movement around the garden to prevent grass damage. Houses 12–15 chickens depending on size.
• XXL Rabbit Hutch – Smokey Grey – Fox Resistant A two-tier fox-resistant rabbit hutch available in grey and natural finishes, in various sizes. Designed for outdoor rabbits with shelter and protection from predators.
• Walk-In Chicken & Rabbit Run – 3m x 4m A walk-in outdoor cage suitable for poultry, dogs, cats, and rabbits, measuring 3m by 4m. Designed to provide a secure, spacious roaming area.
• Walk-In Chicken & Rabbit Run – 3m x 6m A walk-in outdoor cage suitable for poultry, dogs, cats, and rabbits, measuring 3m by 6m. Provides secure outdoor space for animals to roam.
• Walk-In Chicken & Rabbit Run – 3m x 8m A walk-in outdoor cage suitable for poultry and small animals, measuring 3m by 8m. The largest walk-in run option, providing extended secure roaming space.
• Buckingham Portable 8ft 100 Fox-Proof Chicken Coop A portable fox-proof chicken coop suitable for rabbits as well as chickens. Features good quality construction, proper roof covering, robust design, and clear assembly instructions.
• Organic Flea and Red Mite Powder A 2kg, 100% organic and environmentally friendly flea and mite powder for dusting bath areas and larger coops. Effective against red mites, chicken mites, and crawling insects.
• Chicken Coop & Hutch Covers Protective covers for chicken coops and rabbit hutches, designed to shield animals from weather and provide additional insulation.
• Automatic Door Openers Automatic door mechanisms for chicken coops, enabling timed or automated opening and closing for convenience and predator protection.
• Ex-Display Products Discounted ex-display and showroom chicken coops, rabbit hutches, and accessories available at reduced prices.
• Personal Factory – Custom Built Chicken Coops A bespoke manufacturing service for retailers, breeders, and farms requiring custom-branded or custom-designed chicken coops, houses, and runs. Minimum order quantity of 50 units. Customers provide a line diagram with dimensions and features; Eggshell provides a price quote and manufactures to requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3x stronger wire than standard chicken wire (3mm vs 1mm)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Martins Wood FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecommended chicken supplier partnership for customers seeking to purchase chickens. Martins Wood Farm is a family-run business located at the foot of the South Downs in Sussex. They sell 11 different breeds of hybrid hens which are fully vaccinated, and also offer a Holiday Hen Boarding Service. Eggshell directs customers to MWF as a trusted source for healthy birds, strengthening the customer journey from coop purchase to chicken ownership.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing partner providing secure checkout services. After submitting an order, customers are redirected to Stripe's trusted payment environment to safely enter payment details. The company states they do not store credit/debit card details on their own computer systems, demonstrating commitment to payment security.
• Reviews.co.ukminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCustomer review platform partnership enabling customers to leave feedback on products and service. The partnership helps build social proof and trust, with Eggshell achieving an average 4.7/5 stars rating from collected reviews.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Smiths Sectional Buildings: UK manufacturer and retailer of sectional chicken houses and timber animal housing. Comparable niche, custom-build capability, and customer base to Eggshell's Personal Factory B2B and bespoke coop lines.
• Nestera: Nestera sells recycled-plastic chicken coops and small animal housing in the UK. Directly comparable product category, UK DTC model, and smallholder/backyard-keeper target customer base.
• Flyte so Fancy: Flyte so Fancy is a long-established UK specialist retailer of chicken coops, hen houses, runs, and poultry equipment. It competes head-to-head with Eggshell on coop range, fox-proof construction, and UK DTC delivery.
• ChickenCoopsDirect: UK-based online retailer focused on chicken coops and hen houses with a similar DTC model, fox-resistant wooden construction, and nationwide delivery — directly comparable product/market overlap with Eggshell.
• Omlet: Omlet is a leading UK direct-to-consumer brand selling chicken coops (Eglu range), rabbit hutches, and runs. It is Eggshell's most direct large-scale competitor with overlapping products, premium positioning, and similar DTC e-commerce model.

Broad incumbents

• Pets at Home: UK's largest pet retailer offering small animal housing and accessories alongside a much broader pet product range. Broad incumbent with overlapping small animal housing category but does not specialise in premium chicken coops like Eggshell.

Others

• Brinsea Products: UK specialist manufacturer of egg incubators and poultry breeding equipment. Adjacent ecosystem player serving the same backyard/hobby poultry-keeper customer base with complementary (not competing) products.
• Poultry Keeper: Long-running UK poultry hobbyist content and resource site with associated product recommendations. Adjacent player competing for the same SEO/content traffic that Eggshell uses for organic customer acquisition.

Emerging players

• Happy Hen Toys: US-based seller of chicken toys and coop accessories — comparable niche accessories category and chicken-keeping audience, though operating across the Atlantic as a regional rather than direct competitor.
• ChickenGuard: UK maker of automatic chicken coop door openers — a key accessory category that Eggshell also sells. Overlap on the chicken-keeping customer base and shared distribution channel (UK smallholder/backyard keepers).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/eggshellonline
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/eggshellonline
• Pinterestpinterest.com/eggshellonline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eggshell

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Eggshell