What kinds of chickens to get

[sunrunner719]

Winters don't usually get below 35 degrees and summers around 95, although we have had a pretty warm start to this summer. The area is well shaded and it makes a huge difference in temperature.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Shade good

35 isn't chilly at all for chickens. Most prefer 35 to 85.
If that's all the cooler it gets you're wide open.
If your coop is quite small you might try bantams.
You know your personality, needs and wants better than anyone else so I recommend looking at a couple breed comparison charts.

http://www.albc-usa.org/documents/chickenbreedcomparison.pdf

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

Think about whether you want lap pets or wary birds that can evade predators.
Will they free range or be confined?
What color, size and quantity of eggs do you require?
What feather color do you like?
etc.,etc, etc..

I would start with a list of birds that come from climates like yours - perhaps Mediterranean class and narrow it down from there.

 

[Chickens R Us]

I live in Upper Michigan With record lows of -50F but typical winter -20's and -30'sF for lows. I have Orpington ,Wyandottes, Easter Eggers, Australopes and a couple of Leg Horns. With the single comb varieties I put a thin layer of vaseline on the combs and wattles to help prevent frostbite. My coop is insulated but the key is good ventilation but not drafty, moisture causes frostbite. My first year with Leg Horns so I will see how they do, I may have to turn on a light with 100w bulb for some heat for them.

 

[sourland]

Greetings from Kansas, HopeCassman, and

! Great to have you aboard! While I agree with ChickenCanoe, chickens handle cold much better than heat and there are likely few breeds that wouldn't do well in the MN cold - provided they had a adequate coop. And for what it's worth, I'm a big fan of the 'Stars' - Black and Red. You might check the MN thread in the link below to see what breeds locals are raising. Below that is a handy chart that compares a bunch of breeds by various attributes. Good luck to you!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/26/where-am-i-where-are-you

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

Welcome to BYC.