canyon,
My main point was less about economics and more about the pondmeister's need. 200 shrimp is a tiny quantity that may take years to fully establish in a 1 acre pond. It would be helpful if one could affordably purchase sufficient quantities that would provide both a meaningful impact in the year of introduction but also provide sufficient reproduction to determine whether the population overwintered and established.
Say if you want to culture them I could offer some suggestions. In terms of my own plans, I want some small forage culturing ponds to complement the main bow. What is cultured in them will complement the forage of the main bow. PK shrimp, among some other forages, have potential to produce many times their stocking weight and so there is a leveraging effect. Berried crayfish also offer similar potential. I would, however, probably only culture PK shrimp until I determine that the overwintering standing weight in the main bow is large in comparison to what can be cultured. So the forage produced would evolve.
Rather than collecting PK shrimp from your main BOW, why not create a smaller BOW that if fishless and culture the PK shrimp there. For every 100 ft^2 you could grow about 2.75 lbs annually. That equates to about 3575 shrimps. You only need to reserve about 200 shrimps for seed then next year. Might have to keep them inside through winter and it would be best if the production pond is drained and dried between crops. PK numbers and weight will peak in August and November. Taking a crop in August may increase overall production. Just supply your BOW or pondboss members when you crop. Collection in a culturing facility like this could be done with a large dip net with a fine mesh. To reach the production level of 2.75 lbs/100 ft^2 will probable require the addition of a substrate (eg cedar brush). Before harvest you would remove the brush and seine with your net. If the production pond will drain into your main bow, you could empty it in the fall via drain.
