Hi from Rancho Cucamonga! I'm very new to this too. I just started researching this whole thing about a month ago. I bought a couple of books, spent a considerable amount of time on the Internet (and found this GREAT web site!), and then started researching coops. I finally settled on one that looked like it would work well for me, but when it arrived, I was so disappointed I could have cried. (The words emblazed on the crates "Made in China" should have been my first clue.) At any rate, it arrived so damaged, I couldn't even begin to put it together, so it's going back, and my hubby has graciously agreed to build me one, which I know will be 1000 times better.
So, let the lessons begin!