checked out their site..... :-( a mosaic, scientifically speaking, isnt something inheritable, you cant base a breed for it! At least, not in the sense anyone outside a modern lab could.
http://www.biology-pages.info/M/Mosaics.html so either they don't know their biology, or they do know it, but are betting on a public that doesnt and will spend big bucks on what sounds impressive but they dont understand. (saw the auctions and sale prices) I can find no explaination of breeds used (and for what traits), genotype, autosexing ability, egg colour, etc... nothing as to what neglected 'niche' this breed is supposed to fill the needs of. Combined with the other breeds they sell, their 'niche' appears to be who ever will pay the most for something that is given the impression of being 'rare', so the buyers can brag to their neighbours, or try selling the expensive rare chicks and cash in on it too... after a while, what was once 'rare', no longer is, and the last buyer is left with the burst market bubble.
The only thing that appears consistant and halfway 'unique', is the dark skin and blue earlobes, but its only unique in that people don't tend to do the crosses to introduce and maintain the trait... but really, anyone can introduce that to a line and breed for by bringing in a common silkie chicken! Sure, they are 'pretty', but so are countless barnyard mixes/mutts, and given time, even those can become true-breeding, have a name stuck on them, called 'rare' and auctioned to the highest bidder.
I am not in this as a business but out of a love for genetics and an interest in applying that to urban agriculture to address class inequalities by fighting things like food deserts. I haven't thought what i'd charge for the chicks once the breed is established, because i've always pictured giving a few free to those who help hatch... giving them free to people who live in food deserts, etc. Its not that it isnt work intensive or that my time has no value... but that the point is for a better tommorrow, a gift for the future, and hyping them up into something 'rare' to spend hundreds on, would go smack against the whole point of creating the breed. The enjoyment of working on a breed project, or seeing it succeed (which would make it common, not rare) in the way i am working towards, is worth more to me than any amount I could get auctioning them as 'rare'. And being disabled, i certainly could use the money! But auctioning artificially rare chickens isn't a way i'd be comfortable doing it.
