NC chicken advice for breed

[Rosekitten]

So finally got a coop and run all sorted but now I am second guessing the chicken breed I have been looking at for some time now. My plan was to get 5 hens and a roo to start with. All silver lace cochin. But I'm second guessing my plan?

I thought these would be a good starter chicken to work with as they are larger and fully grown during the evenings when I'm out in the yard I could allow them to free roam without as much hawk worry (between the rooster and my two boarder collies and a fully fenced yard). But where it gets rather hot over here in NC I have my concerns.

This won't be my first time with chickens. I'm not new to keeping them. But I grew up having just the standard breeds or some rescues that fell off the chicken trucks, As I grew older and learned of all the breeds .. I'm so lost as to what I want to work with.

Ideally I'd love a quieter breed that won't jump the fence. I have a 4 and a half to 5 foot fence around my yard. I was also drawn to the cochin as they tend to be friendly and it'd be a good way to introduce my kids to chickens.. but the heat and their price tag is making me wonder if there is something that isn't going to run me almost 9$ for a sexed chick.. (I'd do straight runs but we're only allowed 1 rooster here).

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Sounds like a good breed to roll with to me. BUT when it comes to kids, they like to name chickens. So my advice is don't get all one color. When they all look the same the hen names are chicken, chicken, chicken, chicken. I made this mistake 20years ago with my first flock or all RIR's. Now I get all different breeds and color's with a rainbow of different colored eggs (so that's another thing to consider, do you want all same color eggs.) Like you, my next criteria is "nice," chickens. So I no longer get RIR's. I have total peace amongst 14 chickens who are: Orpington, Marans, CCL, OE, EE, Barnevelder, Wyandotte, Speckled Sussex, Welsummer. There are many "nice," breeds but just giving you my list. They all cost around $5 sexed. Good Luck, have fun!!

 

[Rosekitten]

I didn't even think about the naming thing. I could get a few types of cochin if they'd do well. From what I had been reading they should be fine and if I'm super worried I can hook up a fan. But I have a lot of trees and the fence is covered in bushes for shade as well. (at worse I can open the back half of my shed I don't use.. it's open floor so I'm sure they'd just hate the sand pit flooring it has)