Welcome to BYC. I'm glad you decided to join our flock. Congratulations on being able to have chickens. I've been raising chickens for 50 years, and Mountain Peeps has given you some good, accurate information with regard to various breeds. Australorps are my favorite standard breed, being extremely hardy, calm and gentle, and the best layers of the standard, brown egg laying breeds. Black Sex Links are my favorite of all chickens (they are hybrids as opposed to a breed) as they are hardy and friendly, egg laying machines. I've raised them for years (along with dozens of other breeds and hybrids), and they have been my layers, consistently churning out more than 300 egg per hen per year. I also love Buff Orpingtons and have always kept some in my flock. My children, and now my granddaughter (pictured in my avatar) have made lap pets of my Orpingtons and Australorps. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck in getting your flock.