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STANDARD | RARE
Black Copper Marans were the first Marans variety accepted to the French standard in 1931.
Marans are known for their beauty, temperament, and, of course, their dark eggs – of which the Black Copper variety takes the cake.
Quick Reference:
Black Copper Marans chickens are an ancient breed that can trace their roots back to the 13th century in the Marans region of France. The breed is known for laying the darkest brown egg of any chicken in the world.
Marans eggs are prized by many, including some of the world’s top chefs, for their wonderful flavor. While a typical store-bought egg has a yolk that is runny and flaccid, the Marans chickens produce yolks that have ‘muscle tone;’ little orange domes that jut skyward from the egg white. Perhaps, it is for these reasons that Marans eggs are those most preferred by James Bond.
These birds deliver rich mahogany color against iridescent black feather patterns and are among our favorite to admire here on the homestead. Our BCM flock is continually bred to APA standards, which include the feathered shanks and toes called for in the French standard.
While it is true that the Black Copper Marans lays the darkest egg in the world, it is not-so-surprisingly difficult to find a dark laying line. You will quickly learn that the egg color will vary depending on the time of year, how many eggs the hen is laying per week, and how old the hen is. In simpler terms, the hens can “run out of ink” throughout the season and their egg shells tend to lighten in color. The ebbing and flowing of this keeps the egg basket fun, however, and we embrace the challenge of breeding for more consistent, darker egg colors. Right now, our eggs reach at least a 7 on the Marans color chart.