How large are you wanting to build your coop? I could help you with a materials list. For example-- anything 4 X 4 ft and under will simply need 2X4's for the floor joists and support. But if you are going to go with something larger-- like an 8 ft long structure, I'd use 2X6's for your flooring frame and joists. You can still use the 2X4's for building your walls. If you know what length you are going and where your windows, etc are, you can count up on each side how many 2X4's you're going to need. When I did my walls, I put my studs at 16 inches-- but you'll need to double stud your ends for caps, so it will attach to your other side. If you're doing a really small structure-- none of that is necessary. But the coop you can see in the background of my tiny coop-- that has 6 foot high walls, and the pitch of the roof gives you about 8.5 head room (with 6ft being the smallest head height on the sides). I've also learned about trusses since I made a couple different kinds and finally went with the modified Kingpost with a 5:1 pitch ratio. Of course-- my coop is on the larger side... none of that is necessary with a smaller one. BTW-- the little coop I just made has a 6:1 roof pitch ratio since it's smaller. Anyway, if you have any building questions-- just ask!
Here is my Coop Page:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hawkeye95s-page I have my coop outlined step by step and what materials I used if you are interested.
Thanks Loralee. Oh trust me, I've already read your whole page. I even subscribed to it so I'll know when you update it. Bwahahahaha.
Thanks for the tips on building. Here's my deal: we will be moving shortly to our new place in the country that is on 10-acres. While house-hunting, many of the places we looked at already had either a chicken coop or a shed that could be converted, but the place that we finally settled on doesn't. In a way I'm happy to build from scratch and be able to do it just the way I want it. On the other hand, right now it seems a pretty overwhelming task. I'm no stranger to tools and do have *some* skills. My dad didn't have a son to follow him around so instead I was always his helper and he taught me a lot along the way. At 10 I mixed all the concrete in a rotary mixer, for him to complete a really large building project. I did yard work and helped him both build furniture from scratch, and strip older furniture to refinish. At 16, he put an extension on our house entirely by himself and I was right there with him. Well, I guess I would say we did it entirely by ourselves LOL. Later, in my first house, I had the basement roughed in when the builders built the house, and I refinished parts of it myself, doing electrical, drywall, dropped ceiling tile, door framing, and some nice shelving in the window. So its not that I've never used a power tool but somehow I've never built a whole building from scratch by myself and I'm here scratching my head a little trying to figure out how to get started. Maybe its because Dad was an architect by trade so he always planned everything and I never had to do that part....
Anyway, that gives you a little background. Now back to the project itself. Originally when I looked at the google map images of the property, I planned the placement of the coop. Then I had to go back out to the property one day and discovered a concrete "pad" in another area, that I thought would be a great place to build the coop. So I had to readjust my plan but now think the new location will work even better. The dimensions of the pad are:
15'9" long by 10'11" wide. In addition, there is a 4'x4' extension on one of the back corners. There must have been a shed of some type on the pad at some point in the past because in each of the 4 corners there is what is left of a steel post. The posts are 6-8" in from each corner. So my idea was to use the points where the posts used to be to mark the dimensions of my coop. This will mean that the coop will sit wholly on the concrete pad with a 6-8" strip of concrete surrounding it. For the 4x4 extension, I thought that might be a good place to keep a couple of bins, for feed etc, so I'd like to extend the roof to cover that area. So to wrap up, I'm looking at a building that will be approximately 10x14, give or take a few inches. I was a little disappointed the pad fell just shy of allowing a 16' side wall, since more cutting will be involved this way.
As for materials....I have multiple doors already so the people door to the coop is taken care of. In addition, one of the doors is a narrow little internal bathroom door that I thought might be used as a poop tray under roosts. I plan to obtain windows from Habitat so I'm not concerned about those. I also am not concerned about roofing material. We just found out that the roof on the house will be replaced prior to closing. I plan to tell the roofers to leave enough of the old shingles (from the un-hail-damaged area of the roof of course) to use for shingling the coop. I also have a lead on siding that has been recycled from a guy who dismantles mobile homes. So what I'm looking at purchasing new is really just the base lumber - studs, OSB etc.
Anyway, any tips you can give me on planning will be more than appreciated!
I am sick too! I don't think it's a sinus infection, though. I'm pretty sure it's a cold. I have the runny nose and cough and lots and lots of sneezing! All I want to do is sneeze, and half the time that tingly itchy feeling doesn't do anything. You know that feeling when a really good sneeze doesn't happen? Really annoying! I got this from my kids. My littles came home from preschool coughing all over me two days ago. Bah. Fortunately my oldest child and DH are fine... so far. I'm hoping they don't get sick. 
