Nice to meet you Pete. It would take ages for us to tell you everything you need to know about chickens & you would forget most of it. You can take the fast track and head for the Learning Center and also "Raising Backyard Chickens," forum above. If you forget something you've read, it is already in print for you to go back and remind yourself.
What purpose do you expect chickens to fill: layers, meat birds, pets, lawn decorations, etc. That would narrow it down for us. What type of climate do you live in? Any pets in the home or young children? Are you wanting young chicks, or grown birds? Please help us, help you.
If you go to "where am I, where are you?" in the social forum, you can locate and post on your state thread. You may find you have chicken folks living near you that could give the best answers on what breed does well in your climate, what type of coop is needed to get chickens through your seasons. Where is the best place to get birds in your area an, best feed stores etc.
We just can't know that ourselves - BYC has over 330,000 members around the globe. Welcome to Backyard chickens.