Thanks for the photos of your birds, Peeps! I have seen some bantams at shows with awesome penciling. I have a myriad of issues with my flock, but I'm determined to work them out to the best of my ability, and when I can no longer work with them, definitely I will find someone that is as passionate as I am about them to pass my flock onto.
I have a very, very old article somewhere at home that speak of how to breed good males and females from the same pen - what qualities to look for in parent stock. I haven't been able to find it again, but I'm still looking! I'm not to that point yet. I'll be happy to just get the size (while keeping good type) I want in the next few years, and then I'll work on color issues.
All of my males have solid black chests. Here is the cock bird who sired these juveniles:
