OK, here's the deal, please tell me what you think.
My flock is currently in its first year of production, so I am a newbie, a rank beginner. I have a flock of copper black Marans, and I am really enjoying them. I have culled, culled, and culled again, so that what I'm working with in the Marans pen right now is a group of 6 hens and 2 roosters. I originally started with 12 hens and 8 roosters. What I'm left with are my "top picks," so to speak. Later this year, I'm going to split this pen into two pens, and hatch two separate lines. But right now, I'd like to just hatch more birds with the 8 that are all together.
I'd also like to sell some eggs to other people, and monitor the progress of all the chicks, whether they're here or elsewhere. Here's my dilemma:
I am completely uncomfortable with the price of Marans hatching eggs, and can't really make myself charge the "going rate." Also, since I'm in my first year here, I don't feel like I have the standing to do that--I've bred enough horses and dogs to know that phenotype isn't enough to judge your stock, and that the proof is in the pudding. I don't have any pudding yet.
On the other hand, I don't want Marans breeders to be upset with me for offering eggs for far less than the going rate. Honestly, I don't feel that I'm competing with long-term, established breeders of quality livestock, because I'm not offering a time-tested line of birds.
There are so many people who want these birds right now, and I just don't see why they shouldn't have them, without sacrificing an arm and a leg, with the understanding that you get what you pay for, and while my birds are producing a gorgeous dark egg, I can't predict the future as far as them being exhibition quality, or anything like that. I've given away quite a few of these eggs, but honestly the hassle of packing and shipping them is, for me, significant, and I need to make it worth my while.
So...if I were to sell some BCM hatching eggs for, say, $30/dozen (with only 6 hens, this wouldn't be a too-frequent thing) during this trial, would that be too much? Would it be too little? Should I even care what other people are doing?
It seems to me like it can only do the breed good to get the birds into as many hands as possible...is there a downside to that line of reasoning? The "top breeders" will always be the top breeders, right?
My flock is currently in its first year of production, so I am a newbie, a rank beginner. I have a flock of copper black Marans, and I am really enjoying them. I have culled, culled, and culled again, so that what I'm working with in the Marans pen right now is a group of 6 hens and 2 roosters. I originally started with 12 hens and 8 roosters. What I'm left with are my "top picks," so to speak. Later this year, I'm going to split this pen into two pens, and hatch two separate lines. But right now, I'd like to just hatch more birds with the 8 that are all together.
I'd also like to sell some eggs to other people, and monitor the progress of all the chicks, whether they're here or elsewhere. Here's my dilemma:
I am completely uncomfortable with the price of Marans hatching eggs, and can't really make myself charge the "going rate." Also, since I'm in my first year here, I don't feel like I have the standing to do that--I've bred enough horses and dogs to know that phenotype isn't enough to judge your stock, and that the proof is in the pudding. I don't have any pudding yet.
On the other hand, I don't want Marans breeders to be upset with me for offering eggs for far less than the going rate. Honestly, I don't feel that I'm competing with long-term, established breeders of quality livestock, because I'm not offering a time-tested line of birds.
There are so many people who want these birds right now, and I just don't see why they shouldn't have them, without sacrificing an arm and a leg, with the understanding that you get what you pay for, and while my birds are producing a gorgeous dark egg, I can't predict the future as far as them being exhibition quality, or anything like that. I've given away quite a few of these eggs, but honestly the hassle of packing and shipping them is, for me, significant, and I need to make it worth my while.
So...if I were to sell some BCM hatching eggs for, say, $30/dozen (with only 6 hens, this wouldn't be a too-frequent thing) during this trial, would that be too much? Would it be too little? Should I even care what other people are doing?
It seems to me like it can only do the breed good to get the birds into as many hands as possible...is there a downside to that line of reasoning? The "top breeders" will always be the top breeders, right?
