PaintedPony is on the right track. What do you want in chickens; eggs for your use, eggs to sell, meat, pets, to show, to eat bugs, to raise chicks, just because they are neat, to raise according to breed standards, as a 4-H project, to teach kids about life, or some combination of these or maybe some reason I forgot? Are they going to be confined or allowed to range.? Different breeds react differently to confinement. Do you want a breed that is unique in appearance like a Polish's head, a Cochin's legs, of a Frizzle's feathers? Does egg color matter? What is your climate? Some chickens handle cold or hot weather better than others. How important is friendly? Although it varies by individual, some breeds are decidedly less friendly than others. Do you have a targeted size and makeup of your flock? With some breeds having more than one rooster is rough as they usually don't get along. Do you want purebred stock or mixed breeds? Is the origin of the breed important? Is size important - full sized, bantam? Do you plan to hatch with an incubator or use broody hens? Some breeds go broody a lot and some seldom do.
As someone else on here once mentioned, asking us to pick a breed for you is a lot like asking us to choose your favorite color for you. Many of us can tell your our favorite colors and might be able to guess yours if you give us enough hints. I can't even tell you my favorite color unless you narrow it down for me. It's different for a shirt, house, car, dog, or sports team. Give us some hints and we may be able to help narrow your search or tell you breeds to avoid. You will find there are a lot of choices and a lot of reasons to have chickens. The right choices are different for each of us. You just need to find the one or two that are right for you.
Good luck!!!
