Best breed to raise for sale, small scale?

Find out what breeds are selling well in your area.

I go to auctions to see what sells for more money and I watch CraigsList.

I recently sold some barnyard mix hens at the auction for $11-$16 each.

Go figure.

i would suggest  Rhode Island Reds.  The breed is well known even for beginning poultry owners.
 

I'd do a search on craigslist and the local penny saver papers and see what others are selling. If there are 20 people selling one breed and only one selling another, there is probably a reason.

Around here the top selling breeds are production reds, buff orpingtons and barred rocks.

Frizzles, sizzles, frizzled silkies, silkies, and bantam cochins in my opinion are some very easy birds to sale. I never have any trouble finding new homes for my little sizzles or cochins. I had 3 people interested in my grey sizzle cockerel and he is now in a great new home. These are the breeds I have decided on as they are small, easy to sale, and adorable. The hens go broody enough that I don't need an incubator as well so that is more than $100 saved. Here's a pic of one of my sizzle babies, Jazz, who will be going into a sizzle pen with some silkie hens:

s: 

Unless they are near show quality or rarer types or very high quality heritage birds, would it not prove difficult to sell the cockerels?  Just asking, because the market for run-of-mill cockerels in this area is near zero.  Zip.  I only ask because 1/2 your hatches, statistically, will be cockerels.

Spare roosters here, if large breeds, bring from $4.00 to $7.00 for processing for food.

Bantams, silkies, any very young or small breeds bring nothing. Zip, nada, nyet....

Yes, something to keep in mind like Fred said.