Kathy, Go to meyer hatchery online and order a chicken catalog. The catalog is informative and has pictures of the different chickens they have for sale. It lists if they are cold weather hardy, what size eggs they lay, color of eggs, if they are a broody breed. The catalog is free and will give you a chance to see the birds.
Hope this helps, Carrie

Your plan sounds good. :) Since you get cold winters, I'd suggest breeds with small combs--avoid Leghorns and the like, they can sometimes be susceptible to frostbite on their large combs.

Most breeds get along well together (there is always going to be the occasional squabble), but in my experience sometimes Rhode Island Reds tend to 'pack up' like dogs do when kept in groups, and can be bullies. Wyandottes can be quite dominant, as well.

mypetchicken.com has a fun 'breed selector' widget you might want to try:

http://www.mypetchicken.com/breedQuestions.aspx

Velvet ~:>

Thanks for the imput, Carrie and Velvet! I plan on getting my chickens from Mypetchicken, since I can order fewer than 25 from them, and still select exactly what I want. I think I really MUST have some Silver Laced Wyandottes, despite them being dominant. They are just so beautiful!!! We plan on building the coop and run this summer so everything will be ready for my girls when they arrive. I imagine I'll have plenty of questions for you in the meantime. Kathy