Oh man
@ChaosMom it is absolutely like you read my mind.
The eggs I sell to a local farm store - they buy as much as I offer, if they need it. They have always needed them so far (except for last holiday weekend as a lot of people go away for Memorial Day).
We have *thought* of making a farm stall to put up, (we would get more per dozen) but the absolute glorious frictionless-ness of supplying the farm store is IT, I love it.
Before the farm store, we were donating to a local food bank - and we'd be happy to do that with any surplus -- but selling eggs to bankroll the feed and bedding is too good to pass up.
My husband and I drove to a swap meet today about 90 minutes away - there are 2 in my area and this was the further one (the closer one is next week, we will check that one out, too). We wanted to get a look at how they worked and what people had.
It was about what you'd expect for a swap meet in a parking lot - a bunch of country folks with sketchy birds and other pets and animals. Some that looked alright. Some that looked like they'd ridden 150 hard miles of road lol
On the way there, and one the way back - we had little chats about what my goals were and I asked my husband what breeds HE preferred, not because I want to do those breeds but it will HELP me to whittle down what I want to do.
He loves Easter Eggers because they are friendly, sweet and look awesome. He loves Orpingtons and Wyandottes bc cute and chonky. He loves our Light Brahma because *beautiful* and he loves our Ayam Ketawa because she is rare and awesome. He loves our FBCMaran's because he loves the dark brown eggs.
In 2 weeks, I am getting:
2 Lakenvelders
2 Silver Dorkings
1 Campine
1 Speckled Sussex
They are being shipped I hope they all make it. This is the last time I will get shipped chicks. I will do hatching eggs for all future chicks.
So
what do I want to do?
You nailed it on the needing novelty part. I want to breed - but I love the idea of just created mixed breeds to 'see what we get' -- I don't think the minutiae of breeding to the SoP for any breed will do anything for me, because the results will be so minimal and then I am needlessly culling birds for no reason. Seems wasteful.
I love the idea of creating Olive Eggers - since I have a beautiful EE roo and an upcoming FBCM cockerel -
So if I wanted to focus on Olive Eggers, I need:
Welsummers (for speckling)
More Marans, which I can breed myself
Ameraucanas or, Cream Legbars (but I kinda like the idea of Ameraucanas)
I have a f1 Olive Egger cockerel coming up as well (Cracker) and him over ANYTHING creates fantastic Olive Eggers. (and brown layers too - not knowing is part of the fun) The only for SURE pairing to get Olive is Maran over homozygous Blue layer and Olive Egger over homozygous Blue layer.
I kind of like the idea of these 3 boys just having a go over all the girls and when I want to hatch eggs (or sell hatching eggs) or whatever, just collect and see. This suits my novelty.
If I wanted to breed Marans, first I need darker eggs to hatch more from. Mine are a 4 at best. Need darker eggs.
I don't necessarily like the idea of separate *permanent* breeding pens. Maybe I can make some sort of temporary "live here for a couple months in sight of the flock while I gather your eggs" area near the henhouse/run/extension that will allow for specific breeding but also allow for them to flow back into the main flock as well.
I cannot just remove roosters because we will have too many hens to get good fertilization. Chuck seems to manage 15 (horny dude!! lol) but we will have a LOT more rolling in very soon. 40-50 laying hens.
See what I mean, too many!! lol
I feel flustered, I need some lunch hahahah