If you have decided to raise your own flock of chickens, the first thing you would want to figure out is what you want to raise them for. There are a numerous amount of chicken breeds available that are bred for specific reasons. The purpose for most of these breeds would be for laying, eating or showing. Another thing you want to keep in mind is what type of weather you will be raising them in. Some breeds can tolerate certain weather conditions better than others. Listed below is a chart showing several different breeds to choose from, what they are bred for and what weather conditions they are most hardy in. In this chart you will find brooding, which describes how much or less the hens tend to want to lay on their eggs to hatch them out. Also, you will find hardiness, which describes how well the separate breeds can handle different types of weather conditions, with robust meaning they can equally tolerate all types of weather. Finally, the types that are listed are whether the chickens are preferred more for their eggs(layer), meat(game) or showing abilities(fancy). Dual purpose breeds are preferred for both laying and meat production.

As you can see, there are several breeds to choose from, depending on what your intentions for raising them are and where you plan to raise them. There are even more available, than what is listed above, to choose from. These are most of the more common types.