Looking to gift my ralatives some hens/chicks. What breeds should I get?

[Cloverr39]

My relatives have a flock of mixes. Just your basic laying hen with a single comb. Problem is that they're getting quite old and don't go broody anymore. Because of that, they're not getting any new young pullets. And with the local fox visiting and taking a hen every week or so, the flock is only getting smaller.

I want to gift them about 10 chicks or pullets. Maybe of 1 or 2 diffrent breeds. They're not picky about chickens at all, but I personally want something more unique in the flock, that can get passed on and make more interesting looking chickens.

Here are some fairly common breeds in my area that I am considering:

Leghorn exchequer
I love the black and white speckled look and they seem to be good layers too. Can anyone help with what they would produce if crossed to a barred, red or partridge roo?

Cream legbar
I love that they can be sexed from day 1 and lay those blue eggs. Color wise, they would blend in with the current flock easily. I love a good crested breed as well.

Wyandotte
My favorites are blue laced red and silver laced. They seem a pretty good size. Can someone help with how the lacing would get passed down in the flock?

Or maybe some Marans for dark eggs?

Any other suggestions or more information on the breeds I've listed?
Also tips on what age I should get? Chicks would work best with intagrating into the flock and 2 turkeys, but I can only get chicks if they have a broody hen at the time.
Pullets around laying age would be extremely hard to find and might not be accepted by the mother turkey. Maybe I should get hatching eggs and raise them till about 8 weeks old and then gift them? But then there's a chance at getting all cockerels...
Any advice?

 

[nuthatched]

Your heart's in the right place but honestly, leave it up to them to get new birds of the breeds they want. If you give them birds, especially breeds you want, it will be hard to back off and they also have security issues to address.

 

[Cloverr39]

Your heart's in the right place but honestly, leave it up to them to get new birds of the breeds they want. If you give them birds, especially breeds you want, it will be hard to back off and they also have security issues to address.

They told me themselves that they could use some new chickens and they'd be fine with any leftover silkie pullets from me, but silkies wouldn't give them many eggs and silkies don't have proper survival instincts because of those big crests. Plus the giant roosters they have could hurt the poor bantams.
I guess I made it seem like I was just going to randomly show up with a box of chickens. But we've been talking about it for a little while now. Thing is, they live in the middle of nowhere and can't drive to just any location to buy chickens.

 

[nuthatched]

They told me themselves that they could use some new chickens and they'd be fine with any leftover silkie pullets from me, but silkies wouldn't give them many eggs and silkies don't have proper survival instincts because of those big crests. Plus the giant roosters they have could hurt the poor bantams.
I guess I made it seem like I was just going to randomly show up with a box of chickens. But we've been talking about it for a little while now. Thing is, they live in the middle of nowhere and can't drive to just any location to buy chickens.

Alright then, that sounds nice, is there a post office nearby so the can have chicks shipped to them?

 

[3KillerBs]

I would be reluctant to give people chickens knowing that they're losing birds to predators weekly and have not closed their security gap.

But after the fox problem has been dealt with, perhaps a hatchery-choice female assortment -- since they seem to like having a mix of breeds?

 

[user605178]

My relatives have a flock of mixes. Just your basic laying hen with a single comb. Problem is that they're getting quite old and don't go broody anymore. Because of that, they're not getting any new young pullets. And with the local fox visiting and taking a hen every week or so, the flock is only getting smaller.

I want to gift them about 10 chicks or pullets. Maybe of 1 or 2 diffrent breeds. They're not picky about chickens at all, but I personally want something more unique in the flock, that can get passed on and make more interesting looking chickens.

Here are some fairly common breeds in my area that I am considering:

Leghorn exchequer
I love the black and white speckled look and they seem to be good layers too. Can anyone help with what they would produce if crossed to a barred, red or partridge roo?

Cream legbar
I love that they can be sexed from day 1 and lay those blue eggs. Color wise, they would blend in with the current flock easily. I love a good crested breed as well.

Wyandotte
My favorites are blue laced red and silver laced. They seem a pretty good size. Can someone help with how the lacing would get passed down in the flock?

Or maybe some Marans for dark eggs?

Any other suggestions or more information on the breeds I've listed?
Also tips on what age I should get? Chicks would work best with intagrating into the flock and 2 turkeys, but I can only get chicks if they have a broody hen at the time.
Pullets around laying age would be extremely hard to find and might not be accepted by the mother turkey. Maybe I should get hatching eggs and raise them till about 8 weeks old and then gift them? But then there's a chance at getting all cockerels...
Any advice?

I've had good luck with cackle hatchery I just ordered 26 Wyandotte chicks because they are setters I went with half silver laced,and half blue laced but it's which color you prefer lots of people go with gold laced Wyandotte

 

[user605178]

I've had good luck with cackle hatchery I just ordered 26 Wyandotte chicks because they are setters I went with half silver laced,and half blue laced but it's which color you prefer lots of people go with gold laced Wyandotte

You need a Australian shepherd pup for the fox

 

[fluffycrow]

LGDs are not always the best solution for every situation, not to mention Australian shepherds are not even LGDs to begin with, and going up against a fox can be dangerous, plus they need proper training in order to be around chickens

 

[user605178]

LGDs are not always the best solution for every situation, not to mention Australian shepherds are not even LGDs to begin with, and going up against a fox can be dangerous, plus they need proper training in order to be around chickens

These have already been introduced to the flock

 

[fluffycrow]

Great, still doesn't make it safe for them to face a fox nor are they LGDs