You won't have to get up much earlier than normal. Just open the coop door to the run and start the rest of your day. My typical "chicken morning" is:
- take whatever kitchen scraps I have out to the barn
- open the door and GET OUT OF THE WAY. Those chickens LOVE their morning treats.
- toss the stuff on the ground
- go to the BOSS can and get maybe 1/4 cup of BOSS (I don't measure) and throw it out with the chickens (after telling them to go back outside so I don't trip on the greedy buggers
- open the people door to the coop and rake through the shavings on the floor.
- DONE!
You can do the "extra" stuff like adding water and feed in the evening. They don't drink at night nor do they eat so they will have access to that when they wake up. This is, of course, for adult birds. You'll need to spend more time in the morning with the little ones (but of course you will also WANT to 'cause they are cuuuuuuute!) since they will likely kick their food over or kick shavings into it etc.
Not sure where you are or what "cold" is but if it gets down to freezing, you MUST make sure they have access to open water during the day. More research!
Chickens, even the non flighty ones, still get nervous when you walk through them. Don't try to walk around, just walk calmly and talk to them. Even my 3 Y/Os sometimes go nuts just because I am moving in a confined area. The 19 week old ones were broody raised and are still more skittish. But the most skittish was Penelope and now all I have to do is stop walking, bend down (it is a long way, I am 6'1") and talk calmly to her. She settles right down and I walk by. Chickens are first and foremost PREY animals so they are always concerned bad things will happen. They don't want to be trapped. Stupid things run up the path between the barns with me behind and they think I am chasing them. No girls, I'm just going that way. They figure it out eventually.
I have seen some VERY nice coops made from pallet wood here on BYC. You don't need to paint the pallet wood, it doesn't hurt but isn't necessary like it is for OSB. I would paint the outside though just so it lasts longer. No unpainted wood lasts a long time in wet weather. But MAKE SURE you do the oil primer. I can show you hundreds of feet of rotting and peeling fence boards. The guy we bought the house from just put latex on it. Looked REAL nice ... the first year.
I got my 10 gallon cans at an Aubuchon hardware store, nothing special. Here is a link I found with a quick "10 gallon metal can" search:
http://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/Beh...earch&gslfah&gclid=CL2r__TczsgCFYMUHwodR5oLQg
$13. And yes it would work for dog food too. I agree, the "special" pet food containers can be way too expensive. They have "features". All you want is something to keep the rodents out!
If you start your chicks on the bucket, hang it with a chain on a hook so you can raise it as they grow. I wouldn't go with the big 5 gallon bucket right off though simply due to its size unless the coop is pretty big. If you do, don't put too much water in it. The chicks probably won't drink a gallon in a week. I don't think my 9 adults drank much more than a gallon or two a month last winter. Better to add new water every few days. I've been filling the 1 gallon waterer every other day for my now 16 chickens. But they go outside all day so they could also be drinking from puddles and getting water from wet grass, etc.
You have to make sure coyotes CAN'T get in. DO NOT use chicken wire. It is designed to keep chickens in, it WILL NOT keep predators out. A coyote or other canine, raccoon and other predators will rip it apart before you can say "supercalafragal .... ". The coop needs to be "fort knox". 1/2" hardware cloth (bigger wire size than 1/4" and 1/2" openings will keep out any predators) on all openings. DO NOT use an Arrow style staple gun to attach it (other than positioning). Those staples are the same style as the kind in your desk stapler. They will pull out EASILY. Either use poultry/fence staples (look like a U with sharp points) or screw through large washers or a batten (kinda narrow, not real thick piece of wood). You could use nails and washers or battens as well. Screws just happen to be the easiest since you can put them in with a portable drill. The poultry staples are a lot cheaper but a PITA to put in. If you bang them all they way in, the only way to get them out is to carefully hammer a flat screwdriver into the wood under the staple and pry. So don't mash them all the way down until you are sure the hardware cloth is where you want it, leave a screwdriver thickness opening. And use a latch on doors that you can put a carabiner or lock through so it can't be opened by dextrous animals like raccoons.
BTW, hardware cloth is expensive. Likely the single most expensive item you will need. You can use 2x4 (openings) fence roll or chain link for the run but you need to have about the bottom 2' covered with 1/2" hardware cloth as well so nothing can grab the birds through the fence. And you need a "skirt" that goes out about 18" to 24" from the run walls. Bury it a few inches down. This will keep those canines from digging into your run. It can be hardware cloth but again, it is expensive so I would use something like 2x4 fencing here too. No canine can dig through that.
Now this is for "I am not taking ANY chances" predator proof run. You can "hit and hope" on the run security. Especially since you plan to have a very nice large run or two. But they will still cost a fair bit to construct. Some people use electric poultry fencing. It is a lot faster to put up and you can move it so the birds use different areas but it is also more work since you have to make sure the grass doesn't grow up and touch the net. It won't keep all predators out but is will slow them down. A permanent run could also be used for dogs when the chickens aren't in it, or if the chicken thing doesn't work out.
Yep hay bales are different from compressed pine shaving bales. What you have is fine (assuming it is pine, not cedar). I pay $6.25 for a bale of compressed shavings, chicken size, not horse size "flakes". I think the bags of uncompressed shavings are more for things like hamsters. It would take a LONG time to use a compressed bale in a small hamster cage. And it would take a lot of bags of loose shavings to properly cover an 8x8 coop floor.
Having stopped selling stuff and buying books isn't a lack of interest it is stopping a somewhat excessive exhuberance
You can still sell stuff to get money and keep researching because you can NOT learn it all no matter what. But do take the dog for walks and get away from the screen
Walking the dog is good for the dog and good for YOU! What, are you still reading? Take the dog out!
the guy had said they don't need grit that little and mentioned oyster shells once they start laying but when he left I grabbed it because I thought I'd read they did but I later remembered that what I'd read actually said if they're just getting chick food they don't need it and the grit is a little bit later once you start giving them treats and things. Ah well. Lol 
previously when I've lost interest though I stopped doing all of it but not this time. I think it will help that they're outside because once I'm outside I'm better; it's just the sitting in front of a TV or phone that's the problem. So I think this will actually be helpful because I'll be outside and feeling better/active and actually do the stuff. Not looking forward to the waking up early bit though. 
