is your market savvy enough to know the difference.
it would be smart to breed to the Standard of Perfection for the breed, so yes, I personally would hope the collective consciousness would move towards that theory, love mutts but we need heritage and show quality to make the mutts don't we?
look at craigslist, what is selling for what $ in your neck of the woods?
smart to think along the lines of POL- point of lay, sex linked at hatch, very true your market may only want "layin hens", you may only get $5-$10 each.
I would also think it wise to specialize in something more rare and make it show quality.
we sell eggs to friends at a loss, give away young roos, etc. but we like the chickens, and love the eggs ourselves. also raising our first meat birds, we will lose money on that, but should smile in the long run.
when we had easter egger ameraucanas they sold good. cubalayas are selling good this year. i dont have dealawares to sell yet but they seem to be 'the heritage chicken'. the black australorps are not that popular and i dont understand why. they lay good, are very docile, stand confinement well, lay in the winter, and their black glossy feathers make them look good in the yard. they are also fairly inexpensive.
Naked necks are the current "hot" chicken here. Plus sex links go for more $$$ than the average chick or pullet, my problem with sex links is all those darn Roos. Seen people say they sell them to pet stores for snake feed. Not something I would do personally but most Roos get eaten eventually right?