1. what color eggs do you want? white, green, brown, a mix?
2. do you have any preference in bird color?
3. what are your summers and winters like?
4. do you plan on eating extra birds?
5. do you plan on letting them go broody to hatch for you?
6. how much space can be provided for them?
7. do you mind flighty birds or do you prefer more docile ones? (breeds are known for their temperment, but there are exceptions among individuals.
8. what size eggs, bantam or standard? (you can also keep them together)

some of the more common standard, dual purpose birds are orpingtons, wyandottes, new hampshire reds, rocks, australorps, sex links, giants, delawares, easter eggers, rhode islands, leghorns, anconas, turkens, brahmas

I see that you are in Canada.. With the cold weather I would suggest heavy breeds with rose combs. The rose combs are less likely to get frostbite. I live in Texas and my standard combed hens actually got frost bite on them last year. I wish I could be of more help but cold is not a major problem here.. You will love having your own chickens, They are such a hoot to have around.. Kit

Great advice here! :)

Chickens are generally a safe bet no matter the breed--they all lay eggs. :) If you have cold weather, heavy, fluffy breeds with rose combs are good, since they are less likely to suffer from frostbite. Here in southern California I have to worry about the opposite problem--heat. So take your weather into consideration. Check feathersite.com for loads of breed pics, it can really help.

Some generalizations (and there are always exceptions): Silkies and cochins are great broodies and moms, Rhode Island Reds can tend to be mean and 'pack up' like wolves (also they can ruthlessly peck and feather pick at more timid birds), Leghorns are great for eggs but aren't big on personality and have HUGE combs, Polish tend to be skittish (due to limited sight because of their large crests, when I trimmed some feathers on mine they were fine), crested breeds in general can suffer more easily from head injuries due to their open skulls, banties are smart but can run wild if left to open range.

Some breeds known for their sweet and gentle temperments include Buff Orpingtons, Americaunas (Easter Eggers, they lay the pastel colored eggs), Jersey Giants, Cochins, Silkies, Mille Fleurs and Brahmas.

Chickens are great, they are wonderful to have around and are fun to watch to boot. :)

Velvet ~:>

I'm an as-yet chicken-less newbie myself but Buff Orpingtons were recommended to me as easy-going, not-much-flying, dual-purpose birds. They're supposed to be very easy to tame for a city girl like myself. 2nd place went to Australorps, which are derived from Orpingtons and lay even more eggs.

That's not my own wisdom, I'm just passing it along.

I don't have any experience with other breeds but I love my Australorps. They are docile (take an endless amount of crap offa my toddler, who likes to chase and pet them), friendly and lay jumbo sized brown eggs. They're beautiful too.

Kristin

I think a variety is nice, for me it would be boring to have just one breed :)

-Sheila

You don't say where in Ontario... it will make a difference when thinking about frostbite hazzard. I live in Prince Edward County, just south of Trenton and Belleville. We get damp winds off the Lake that make frostbite more of a hazzard.

I have Speckled Sussex hens - a big dual-purpose breed - and I like them very much, but after losing our rooster to frostbite last winter, I am switching to Dominiques, which have a rose combs and should not suffer as much.

As appealing as mixed flocks may be, I strongly suggest you get your feet wet by ordering just one breed. You can always add others later on. This will keep conflict to a minimum because birds always seem to peck on the ones that look different.

Make sure you have everything in place before you get the chickens. It will make it a much more pleasant event for both you and the birds. Check out some websites, buy a book or two, decide how many you want to start with and find a chicken house design that will work well in your setting. If you read back in this forum you will find many of your questions already discussed in detail. It's a good place to start.

If you are looking for an Ontario source for chickens, Performance Poultry here in the County has a wonderful selection of chickens available. I always buy from there. I know I will get heathy birds that are good representatives of their breed. Jason Cain, the owner, is a very pleasant person who is knowledgeable and caring.

Here is a link that might be useful: Performance Poultry