Black Copper Marans

Marans were approved and accepted into the American Poultry Association in the Continental Class in April 2011. They were developed in France and are known for their famous, CHOCOLATE BROWN eggs. 

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Marans lay the largest egg of the breeds we raise. Eggs from one year old hens average 2.27 oz (64.4 g) and meet the USDA “large" classification. Eggs from adult hens frequently hit the extra-large and sometimes jumbo size. Marans have a gentle temperaments and quiet demeanor makes them ideal for suburban backyard chicken keepers, as well as any assorted farm flock as they rarely bully smaller breeds. They are a great family bird. Our line of Marans is a mixture of multiple different lines, which we have adapted and blended into our own concoction. Needless to say, we are happy with the results. Fun fact: Egg color will vary by individual bird and by the time of the year. They egg color rarely stays the same throughout their laying cycle. A new pullet will always start off laying darker then she will at the end of her cycle. Feed also plays a part in egg color (free range on green pasture vs. confinement). But mostly, it comes down to genetics. Generally speaking, the eggs from these birds average around 6 with some 5 and some 7's and 8's, on the Marans color card. I just want to throw this out there, it is unrealistic to expect every bird in your flock to lay a dark egg all year long. Egg color changes like the ink in a printer cartridge.  We do get 8/9's but those are rare and usually don't last more than a couple egg cycles. 

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Down Fall: Marans work really hard to give you those beautiful dark chocolate eggs and because of this Marans have the lowest lay rate out of any of the breeds we raise. They typically lay 150 – 200 eggs per year. Some say that selecting for dark eggs reduces lay rate (because dark eggs pass thru the oviduct more slowly receiving additional coats of color). I believe this to be mostly true, going off of our personal flock production. Egg color is tricky. Brown egg color is controlled by at least 14 genes and there are a lot of really smart people working to crack the codes. If it were as simple as only hatching the dark eggs, everyone would have a good line within one generation. We are always working to improve our flocks. We have culled hard and we purchased lines with egg color and SOP in their focus. We believe in doing a service to the breed and staying as close to SOP as we can without loosing egg color. We have our egg color, now we can work on SOP. If you are looking for show birds, our stock is not there yet. We believe in being honest with our clients as we don't want you to be unhappy with your purchase. 

*Crooked Arrow Ranch is an active member of The Marans Club*