Breed Suggestions?

[Calendula]

I hope this is the right forum to post this question in!

My family and I would like to eventually have our own production flock for eggs and meat. Breed and hatch out chicks, and then raise the roosters for meat and keep the hens for eggs. Maybe sell some hatching eggs or young chicks.
Originally, we were planning on Orpingtons... or I was. Haha. I adore Orpingtons, but I think I might prefer sex-linked so that I know from the start how many roosters vs. hens I have? Someone said I could do a black Orp over buff hens and they would be born sex-linked, so that might be what I do, although I don't know where to get black Orps!
But eventually, my baby brother will be doing 4-H, so he'll need some show quality birds of some sort. So that's why I'm leaning more towards purebred.
Anyway, does anyone have any helpful suggestions?

 

[Mace Gill]

I hope this is the right forum to post this question in!

My family and I would like to eventually have our own production flock for eggs and meat. Breed and hatch out chicks, and then raise the roosters for meat and keep the hens for eggs. Maybe sell some hatching eggs or young chicks.
Originally, we were planning on Orpingtons... or I was. Haha. I adore Orpingtons, but I think I might prefer sex-linked so that I know from the start how many roosters vs. hens I have? Someone said I could do a black Orp over buff hens and they would be born sex-linked, so that might be what I do, although I don't know where to get black Orps!
But eventually, my baby brother will be doing 4-H, so he'll need some show quality birds of some sort. So that's why I'm leaning more towards purebred.
Anyway, does anyone have any helpful suggestions?

If you're doing this as one breed and wanting eggs AND meat, I would go with the orpingtons. Normally, I praise Australrops up and down, but from what you are describing about what you want to do, the orpingtons run just a little larger than Australorps so you'll have slightly bigger chickens that are also good layers. Orpingtons are also reputed to go broody a little more often and make good mothers.

 

[Bantambuff]

Maybe a golden comet?
They are sexlink.

 

[Calendula]

I actually havean Australorp that went broody. Best mother ever. I didn't know they were sex-linked.
I'll probably end up sticking with the Orps, but I wouldn't mind looking into other breeds.

I'll definitely check out the Golden Comet!