M
arans have yet to be recognized by the American Poultry Association (APA) despite their increasing popularity. They were developed in France and are known for their famous, chocolate brown egg. The English standard calls for clean legs, the French standard calls for feathered legs. Whitmore Farm breeds to the French standard.
Whitmore Farm raises Brown-Red Marans, sometimes referred to as Black Coppers. The Brown-Reds are the most common variety in France and are generally believed to have the darkest egg color of all the varieties. Whitmore Farm's breeding program emphasizes egg color and size and lay rate.
Whitmore Farm recently added several Blue Copper cocks to the breeding flock. This Blue Copper variety is a striking color combination with all the traits Black Copper Marans are famous for. Because the blue color gene is a variant of the black color gene, the two varieties can be run together.
Those interested in the breed should join the American Marans Club and the Yahoo French Marans Group.
A farmer named Will had some chicks,
World famous because of their tricks,
They would stand on one leg,
Lay a copper-hued egg,
And escape Bar-b-Quing on sticks!
- Rose Woodsmall
If you would like to purchase Marans day old chicks or hatching eggs, see the For Sale page.
For more photos of these breeds and any other type of chicken, see www.feathersite.com