I had brahmas they are moody about laying but they do set good if you want to hatch eggs I had roadiland reds they are good layers but I do think that restar ae the best layers nd you can tell the hen from birth they are rsd and white where the roosters are whitr and they ley brown eggs witch our the best eggs roadiland reds and redstar lay all through winter and so chickens wont lay if it is to hot or tocold I buy my birds fron McMurry they have a web site and will help ypu pick out the best one for you plus when you order thry give them all there shots I have never lot a bird from them
I would encourage you to look at lots of chicken pictures to see the many different shapes and colors of chickens. Some of us like the big fluffy chickens while others like the smaller tighter feathered ones...or the even smaller bantam varieties.