Like everyone else said it depends on what you want out of your birds.
I did not know what I wanted either, so I have tried a few different breeds (and crosses). All the standard poultry came from hatcheries (some from local feed store which orders form a hatchery), all the game chickens (I think are the most beautiful) came from different breeders. So I currently have Game chickens (my best broody, but egg production is seasonal and around 4/week, not a good meat bird, and growth rate is slow mature fully around 2yrs old), Black Sexlinks and Gold Sexlinks (best overall producers and weather hardy....pure breeds overall tend to have more troubles, but this could be from just my experience, I have only ate the roos that have weird tempers they were ok), Silver Duckwing Old English Bantams (Seasonal layers around 5-6/week but tiny eggs, birds take less feed/water/space/etc, I have yet to try to eat one they are just too cute), 2 Silver Gray Dorking (they lay seldom, very skiddish birds but neat looking, don't know about meat), Speckled Sussex average all around (lay med-large eggs, hens will go broody if you let them, I have only used extra roos for meat but are good), 4 RIR pullets that are at POL so don't really know there, and My newest additions EEs which are not old enough for any thing but are feathering out in many different colors.
Each Chicken has its own temper and needs (and wants). Some eat/drink more than the rest, some are more aggressive, skiddish, alert, friendly, productive, longevity, etc.
I did not know what I wanted either, so I have tried a few different breeds (and crosses). All the standard poultry came from hatcheries (some from local feed store which orders form a hatchery), all the game chickens (I think are the most beautiful) came from different breeders. So I currently have Game chickens (my best broody, but egg production is seasonal and around 4/week, not a good meat bird, and growth rate is slow mature fully around 2yrs old), Black Sexlinks and Gold Sexlinks (best overall producers and weather hardy....pure breeds overall tend to have more troubles, but this could be from just my experience, I have only ate the roos that have weird tempers they were ok), Silver Duckwing Old English Bantams (Seasonal layers around 5-6/week but tiny eggs, birds take less feed/water/space/etc, I have yet to try to eat one they are just too cute), 2 Silver Gray Dorking (they lay seldom, very skiddish birds but neat looking, don't know about meat), Speckled Sussex average all around (lay med-large eggs, hens will go broody if you let them, I have only used extra roos for meat but are good), 4 RIR pullets that are at POL so don't really know there, and My newest additions EEs which are not old enough for any thing but are feathering out in many different colors.
Each Chicken has its own temper and needs (and wants). Some eat/drink more than the rest, some are more aggressive, skiddish, alert, friendly, productive, longevity, etc.
