Bee, it would be slower.
It still boils down to hatching a qty. of growers and selection though. I do not think that anyone can logically dispute that.
I think that it is less risky, and a good way for someone to get their feet wet (or stick their toe in the water). The reason is the variability. You haven't put yourself in a corner to start off with. That might go against conventional wisdom, but I still believe that flock mating is not a bad place to start.
The biggest thing us newbies need to learn is selection. Developing an eye for the birds, and becoming familiar with the strengths and weaknesses in our birds. It takes a generation or two to do that when we are new. In the mean time, the added variability might help keep us from getting into too much trouble. At least not to a point of no return. A little more room for error.
Been out of town, so I am just catching up. Great discussion. It helps more than you may realize. Quite a while ago I knew that I would have some problems, but I thought I would work my way through it, the more I learned. That is sort of the case, but now I know that a focused breeding program will be a challenge for me. I agree with gjensen, that for now learn how to make good selections, enjoy your birds and wait and see where this hobby takes me.