Marans

Marans are French dual-purpose chickens from the town and marshy countryside around Marans in Charente-Maritime. The breed's dark brown eggs, ranging from russet to chocolate when well selected, are the reason many backyard keepers first seek it out, but Marans are also sturdy medium-heavy fowl. Black Copper Marans are the variety most familiar in many flocks, while Cuckoo, Wheaten, Birchen, Blue Copper, Black, White, and other colors exist under different standards. Traditional French-type Marans have feathering on the outside of the shanks and toes; clean-legged English and hatchery-derived lines are also seen.

People keep Marans for colored eggs, calm temperaments, and a useful carcass, yet egg color is not fixed in every pullet or all season. The shell pigment is deposited late in egg formation, so a hen's first eggs and the start of a laying cycle are usually darkest, then lighten. Breeders selecting Marans need to track egg color, vigor, size, and type rather than breeding from the darkest shell alone. For household flocks they do well with space to forage, secure housing, and a dry run; large single combs may need frostbite prevention in harsh winters. Buyers should ask to see recent eggs from the parent stock if dark egg color is the main reason for choosing the breed.

Colors: Barred, Birchen, Black, Black Copper, Blue, Brown, Buff, Columbian, Crele, Cuckoo, Duckwing, Gold, Gold Laced, Laced, Lavender, Mille Fleur, Mottled, Partridge, Penciled, Porcelain, Red, Silver, Silver Laced, Spangled, Splash, Wheaten, White