Welcome. My chickens are a member of my family, so egg laying isn't as important. I would say health is first and temperament second. My goldens and EE's are sweethearts, but if you live in warm climate, I would not get the goldens. And, what the industry has done to goldens, as well as many others, to make them hyper-produce, they do not live as long as they used to. Same for my SS. They are sweet but not very heat hardy.
