You have a choice; commercial brown egg layers are sexlinks, there are red, goldens, blacks, comets, all sorts. They are all crosses that are bred just for laying. These are good standbys. They will lay good for about 2 years, then their production will fall off. All leghorns will lay white eggs, there are several color patterns but the commercial white leghorns are bred to be laying machines. Most will lay over 300 eggs in a cycle.
Then you can get into purebreds. There are many "heritage" breeds and there are several breeds that will lay these dark "chocolate brown eggs" , the blue egg layers, and then just your old fashioned brown and white egg laying breeds. One of the selling points at the farmers markets is to be able to sell the "breed" as well as the eggs. But you need to know and promote the breed if that is how you want to go .
I raise purebreds for show and the eggs are a sideline and for my own use. I did have black sexlinks for layers and ran about 100-150 as pasture run layers. They laid good. I like a standard breed for general purpose, like the plymouth rock breed that comes in many color patterns, the "barred rocks" being one of the most popular.
Most all the sexlinks will make good "soup chickens" when done laying, the leghorns will not have as much meat. The leghorns will be more flighty, the sex-links and heavier dual purpose breeds quieter.
If you have problems with predators, they will have to be penned at least at night. We have some real problems with eagles and they will pick them off. Also foxes and raccoons and such.