Chickens around Pittsburgh

Wow!!!! I thank you all for taking time to answer my question! Everyone has given such good advice. Greatly appreciated

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

You've received good advice above.

Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to join our flock. I have had Rhode Island Reds in the past, and sometimes they can be aggressive (especially the roosters). RIRs are good layers, but I don't recommend them with small children. Breeds that are also good layers, and are very calm and gentle include Black Australorps, Buff Orpingtons, Cochins, Brahmas, and Sussex. My childen made lap pets of all of these breeds. If egg production is a high priority, Black Australorps are the best layers of the standard, brown egg laying breeds. A BA holds the brown egg record with 364 eggs in 365 days, and while none of mine have ever reached this kind of production (and likely never will), I've had a few of them lay over 300 eggs in a year. Silkies and Cochins are the easily the poorest layers on my list (plus Silkie eggs are small). Buff Orpingtons, Brahmas, and Sussex are all about equal; all good layers, although the Brahma eggs tend to run a little smaller. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Whatever breed you end up getting, good luck with your flock.