Good point! I'll check out their birds when I get a chance.
Sex Links definitely seem like an important and largely unexploited resource for the backyard breeder and keeper. Sex Link Silkies, Sex Link Bantams, Sex Link Easter/Olive/Chocolate Eggers... so much potential for these birds and yet, surprisingly, so few people working on them. I personally plan on pioneering my own lines of Sex Link EE, Sex Link OE, Sex Link Chocolate Eggers... and of course Sex Link Silkies! Just as soon as I move into my own place and can get a more professional and biosecure set up going. At that point I'm hoping to start making my own "proprietary blends" of multiple strains within multiple breeds, with an emphasis on sex linking or Autosexing ability, and pet and/or egg color qualities. Those definitely seem to be the big trends these days, ESPECIALLY colored eggers. Working at a chicken shop which sells pullets, I think I've gotten more requests for Easter Eggers/Ameraucanas/Marans/Welsummers than almost all other breeds combined. Heck, we can usually sell out of 75-100 EEs in a week or less, and Marans are now on a reserve-only basis because they're in such high demand. Had Welsummers a few weeks back... I predicated we'd sell out of them within the first ten customers of the day. I was close, it was thirteen if I recall correctly.
I don't intend on selling any of this year's (or probably next year's hatch) due to health issues, but I consider these very important test runs and possibly the start of lines I may try to continue propagating via hatching eggs once I move out, if by some miracle I manage to create something worth keeping or which can't be easily replicated. I've got a lot of "book knowledge" but this being my first year hatching purebreds/purposeful hybrids, my practical experience is limited and I'm doing what I can to fix that.
My next hatch is due May 1st-2nd. I think I have a total of 8 Silkie eggs in that batch... all 8 still seem to be developing well. I'm always anxious waiting for them. I spaced this hatch a little further apart than my previous ones, because I ran out of room in my Octagon 20. Lol, that's one problem I forgot to include in my plans for a staggered hatch... I'm putting another Brinsea Mini on order tonight to help remedy that issue. In the meantime, fingers crossed more of my hens decide to brood when I actually want them to... fat chance but I can hope!
