I'm not sure where this should go, but anyhow...

After you've bred your pair and have however many juvies from the spawn, how do you decide how much you should sell the ones you don't want to keep?

I know with the first batch of juvies I sold, I lost money. Granted I don't breed them for money, but when I sell juvies I'd like to know what I should probably be selling them for.

Also how do YOU decide which ones to keep for future breeding or showing?

Wow! Well, I'll answer the easy part of that first.

I keep the best ones of the spawn. If I'm working a line I naturally want to select the best offspring to continue. Then it might be based on what the line is lacking. IE I need a stronger dorsal, I'd look for the fry with this characteristic to breed back into the line to improve this point.

As far as what to sell them for, I might not be a good person to answer that. For me, it depends on who's buying, the quality of the fish in question, how much trouble is this person giving me (ie time spent on the deal) to make up their mind, how many I have available and if they are in demand, what I'm keeping for showing purposes..etc. I never have a set amount I plan on charging. This is just how I operate.

Also, I don't believe I've ever even tried to figure out if I making a profit or a loss. When I can I sell what I have available either because someone wants them, I need to move the viable extras out for the room and I need some funds to put back into maintenance. I've just never looked at it any other way.

Hope this helps some.

Thanks for the info..

That's pretty much what I figured for the second question..

I can certainly see your point on the price depending on the person and fish.
I just have a hard time figuring out what quality my fish are, usually I can figure out the person pretty good, but the fish is where I have my problems. See, for the most part I've been working with my trad. PKs that are from a mini line (started in TX). First off I don't really know how many people are interested in trad. PKs, much less minis. And some of the colors and all have been what I would normally consider "dull", so I mainly list them as $5 or so. I do think sometimes that is too low, but because I usually sell them for that price I figure people might think that anything more is too high.

Well, on the minis, I don't think there's a lot of interest in them myself. Unless you just happen to get someone who is in love with them. One thing, there's no place in showing for them so that eliminates a good many people wanting them. For pet quality, you really can't expect much more than that so I'd say you're doing ok if they sell for you at that.
Again, this is all just MHO. :)

I think price depends on quality and reputation.
I have some friends that can ask 20 dollars for a fish that other people would only be able to ask 10 dollars for... Because they have a good rep, and their lines are well known, and they are percieved, right or wrongly, as having strong genetics.
However, I will say this as a long time dog breeder, something is worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
Something is also worth what you are willing to sell it for.
One good way to get an idea of how to price your fish, is to look at the average selling price of fish of simialr quality.
As for which fry you pick, it depends on what your goals and your personal preferances are.
For example, my Throttle spawn, I took the keeper females to a betta meeting, and they all picked one particular female as being the best.. She just happened to be one that I did not like as much, because she has a stippled dorsal.
I am one of those foolish people who think one CAN have it all, color and finnage.. But sometimes one must be sacrificed for the other, and in my case, I'll take color over finnage.
But when all else is equal, I'll go for finnage, which is the reason I picked the female from the mixed Hollywood/Bronx spawn that I did.
I prefered her dorsal over the dorsals of the other females.
Though the others had straighter dorsals, hers was the broadest.
One had was a marble choc, and it was a hard call between her and the wider dorsal. But I reasoned that the line carries marble so I wasn't missing anything by not picking the marble as my keeper, so the better finnage would be the better choice between the two, even though.

Keep in mind, this comes from someone who has never sold a fish she has bred, and who has never had a huge amount of choice from her spawns, lol.

That is true Belle. Sometimes it an undeserving truth as well.

Thanks for all y'alls help..

I agree that probably not that many people would be interested in minis. Hence why I'm venturing out into new PK blood, aside from taking the mini line pretty much as far as I can take it. Basically right now what I'm trying to do is let go of the juvies/adults that are trad. PKs that I don't plan to work with. I may just end up putting a lot up on AB.
Again thanks for the help/info..

:WEL