Pros: Friendly
Awesome egg layers
Small enough that they are easy to handle
Good for all weather
Pretty
Good at escaping predators
Cons: None
Some of the best chickens ever! Red Sex-Links (Lohman Browns) are pretty much the perfect chicken. Mine have never even had health problems! I love them, 10/10.
In my experience, Columbian rocks have been the worst chickens I have ever had. While they look cool and lay good eggs, they are just so mean! They boss around other hens, peck at you, and go broody ridiculously easily.
Pros: Great egg layers
Pretty
Good for all weather
Quiet
Cons: Skittish
New Hampshire chickens are pretty cool. They lay a lot of eggs, have nice colored feathers, handle all weather well, and aren't very noisy. HOWEVER, they are definitely not lap-chickens, and will usually not let you handle them.
Pros: Very majestic
Great egg layers
Good for all weather
Cons: Not very friendly
Roosters are VERY aggressive
I think that Rhode Island Reds are an OK breed, but in my experience, they're not too nice, which doesn't work well if you don't want to get spurred by a rooster. While they look very nice, and even lay a lot of eggs, their temperament just bothers me.
