good breeds to add to my flock this year

[eggciting eggs]

Last year I got my first flock in a long time, I had a flock when I was growing up but I haven't had one in a wile. I got 12 chickens unsexed from my local breeder and luckily I got all pullets. I got 12 chickens in all 2 buff orpingtons, 2 white plymouth rocks, 1 barred plymouth rock, 2 black austrolorps, 2 Leghorns, 1 golden laced wyandotte, and 2 cinnamon queens. Unfortunatly, we lost a leghorn which I named penelope as a chick, then we lost 3 (1 buff orpington named peeps, the other leghorn named sharpe, and a black austrolorp named peggy) to what we think was an otter. Then we lost our wyandotte named clover to a fox or a cyotte or something like that, which left me with 7 hens. So this year I'm thinking about getting 13 chicks. You may be asking why so many? well, I want to sell eggs this spring/summer and if it goes well I want to expand to my local country store, and if I do expand it I will need that many more chickens to get the amount of eggs that I want to sell but also providing enough for me to eat.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone had any breed recomendations for hens and hopfully a roo to add to my flock preferably good layers.

Thank you!!!!

 

[Welshies]

Where are you from? How big is your coop? How much run space do they have? These are all considerations to make.
Large combed breeds are prone to frostbite, so do better in a heated coop or warm climate.
Small combed breeds are cold hardy, but don't do well in climates that never get below freezing.
Production breeds like Leghorns lay very well, but often only lay well for a couple years, instead of a few years. Leghorns would be your best layers.
Rhode Island Reds and Wyandottes are two heritage brown egg layers that generally lay well. Barred Rocks lay well, too.
Legbars, Dominiques, and Dorkings are somewhat good layers.
Do you have an incubator? Yes? Then the Leghorn would be a great breed for you. They mature well, and they are excellent layers. However, you'll need to replace your flock or add new hens every year or two years, and Leghorns don't go broody. However, their lack of broodiness makes them prolific layers. When a hen goes broody, she stops laying.
Do you not have an incubator? Then consider a heritage breed that occasionally goes broody like an RIR, Barred Rock, or Wyandotte.
You may want to consider Auracanas or Ameraucanas.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I've had all those breeds except the cinnamon queens.
I have lots of recommendations as I'm sure others will also. I have a couple breed charts you should peruse for breeds traits that fit your climate and your personality.
http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html
http://www.albc-usa.org/documents/chickenbreedcomparison.pdf
I might have better suggestions if I knew where you live.
Mediterranean breeds are a good choice for their egg laying ability.
For egg sales, I like a colorful egg basket. Various shades of brown, cream, white, green, etc..
For a rooster, since you have predator issues, I'd go with a larger Mediterranean breed like Minorca, Penedesenca or Spanish for their agility and alertness to defend from daytime predators.
I've never lost a bird to a hawk since I've had a Black Penedesenca running with each flock.