Are you looking for a docile, friendly, and gorgeous chicken to add to your flock? Look no further than the Black Copper Marans. This breed is known for its incredible egg quality. In fact, Julia Childs is known to have only cooked with Marans eggs.
History of the Black Copper Marans Breed
According to Alchemist Farms, the Black Copper Marans chicken is a breed of domestic fowl that originated in France. The breed was developed in the town of Marans, located in the Charente-Maritime region of France, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The breed was originally used for both egg production and meat, and it was prized for its dark brown eggs.
It wasn't until the 1990s that the Black Copper Marans breed was introduced to North America, where it quickly gained popularity due to its rich egg color and friendly demeanor.
My Experience With Black Copper Marans
My Black Copper Marans hen is absolutely incredible. She’s quiet, sweet and lays eggs that make our egg basket picture-perfect every time. She's a great forager but does fine in the run as well. Big Betsy isn’t at the top of the pecking order, but she holds her own quite well!
Here's a picture of my Big Betsy!
Traits of Black Copper Marans
Black Copper Marans are stunning breeds. They have black feathers with an iridescent green sheen and copper flecks set them apart in your flock. They are medium-sized and weigh about 7-8 lbs. Their plumage is incredibly soft making them great to snuggle with! And as a bonus, they’re super easy to handle and they socialize well with humans and other chickens.
Black Copper Marans do well in warm and cold climates, so they’re a perfect addition to your flock no matter where you live.
How Many Eggs Do Black Copper Marans Lay?
If your objective for having backyard chickens is just a lot of eggs, this may not be the breed for you. On average, a Black Copper Marans hen will give you around 3 eggs/week, which works out to around 150-200 eggs/year. This may not be as high as some other breeds, but their quality makes up for it.
And their eggs are absolutely gorgeous. Black Copper Marans eggs have a rich chocolate brown color like the photos below.
Most people wonder if it’s “Marans” or a single bird is “Maran”. The answer to this is that the chicken is named after a French town called Marans, so whether you’re talking about one bird or many, it’s always “Marans”.
I will absolutely be adding more of these beautiful birds to our backyard flock!!
Until next time,
–The Wing Lady