Desperately seeking building skills

[Quackter]

All of them . I’ve never built anything or used a tool.

I ran construction work when I was young, quite a bit bigger than chicken coups, lol We'd get a new guy on the crew, after a bit I had developed a little test that they didn't know they were taking. It was complicated and the details are irrelevant to this, but the answer is spot on. There were basically three answers: They could come back, tell me I was full of it, having done it right. This was awesome, that guy had experience, it would take some weight off, the best I could ask for. Second was, they could come back, tell me they did it, ask them some details, and tell they were BSing me, they had already wrote their last check. The third, they could go, come back, and say they didn't know, or just start asking questions on how to do it. That was great, there might be a little hand holding, but I could work with that. After a while I'd literally answer with "you passed", and personally go over with them and walk them through it, get to know them, because then they were worth my time.
You have the first and most important skill already. Admitting what you don't know. keep it and you'll learn fast and do well. My advice, would be just what @Bald Bee Man said, find you someone to get you rolling. You have the benefit that you will be your own inspector and customer, but you still don't want to get hurt, spending more in materials than you have to, or backtracking a whole lot. Heck, talk somebody into your free labor on their project, for learning and a little bit of pointing and hand holding on yours. When you get to the point of details, plenty of people on here will help you.

Option B, there are kits available, but they are pricey for my taste.

Building your own things is rewarding, good luck.

 

[blackandtan]

I agree with Bald Bee Man, if you can it would be best to find someone near you who can show you the basics...if you’re determined to learn on your own, I haven’t found a better book than sunsets Sheds and Garages; it has great pictures and drawings of dozens of designs from tiny tool sheds to good size garages which could all be adapted to coops with perches and nests and other chicken-specific stuff; it even lists building materials and explanations of the tools you need.

 

[sealer39]

Building a solid coop and run is a lot of work. Easier way to start is to buy a wooden shed. You will still have to add roosts, nest boxes, cut in ventilation an so forth. That alone will start building your wood working skills. I would recommend buying a Makita or Bosch 18v lithium tool kit, one that includes drivers, skill saw, reciprocating saw, light. Buying a kit is cheaper than buying individually. Whatever you do will be expensive because you will have to buy all the tools and hardware needed to complete the job. Do your best to write up a cost sheet for everything you will need to build your coop so you don’t go broke halfway into it. AND, when you decide on a direction for your coop, start a thread here so you will have people helping you through the process.

 

[townchicks]

I agree with @sealer39 , start with a prefabricated shed. I built my own small coop, with very limited skills and mostly hand tools. It was a trial and error, 3 steps forward two steps back kind of deal, and it took me months. It turned out ok, and I am proud that I did it, but it's still too small and with 3 new pullets in quarantine, it needs some expansion. With a shed, you are already ahead of the game, size wise, and having some thing you can walk into is great.