Best chickens for newbie in southern Indiana

[Luna bean]

What is the best breed to get for a newbie in southern Indiana? Im thinking of the heat in the summer (It got up to 109 at our house last year) and cool to cold in the winter (this past winter it got down to 4 degrees with a negative windchill. They will have a coop to go into to get out of the wind and rain and to roost at night. Do I also need to insulate it? Im use to Northern MN winters so Im still trying to figure out what I would need down here. We have only been here a year now.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Buff Orpingtons is an often great starter chicken and Red Sex Links are too. I've had both through similar temperatures. The RSLs would do better in the heat, and the BOs in the cold, but both can handle both. Another good breed for those temperatures would be Turkens.

On the coop, I would focus on no drafts. I get colder temps and don't have insulated coops and the chickens did good. But you can insulate the coop if you want. It does help keep the coop warmer.