Marans Chickens: All You Need To Know From A Vet

If the idea of having chocolate eggs throughout the year appeals to you, then Marans chickens may be for you! Although there are a lot of physical color variations within the breed, the one thing all Marans owners hope to be rewarded with are dark, coppery-colored eggs.

A lot of really great things have originated in France. There are baguettes, croissants, French bulldogs, and something I use daily: the stethoscope. One less well-known triumph is the development of Marans chickens. Fortunately, I don’t often see Marans chickens as patients, but I do encounter them regularly being exhibited at poultry shows.

So What Are Marans Chickens?

What a Marans chicken should look like depends mainly on where you are in the world and who you are talking with. There are physical variations in accepted Marans chicken standards between France, the UK, and the United States.

However, the adage, you ‘shouldn’t judge a book by the cover’ is certainly true when it comes to these unassuming, robust chickens. Marans are not famous for their handsome appearance but rather for the fine quality of their meat and, more importantly, the unique color of the eggs they produce.

History

As you have realized by now, Marans chickens are a French breed, so when saying Marans, be sure to use your swishiest French accent and say it. Practice saying it correctly a few times so you can read the rest of this article with the correct pronunciation.

Once you have the pronunciation correct, the next thing to note is that it is always Marans and never Maran. So, one Marans chicken, two Marans chickens, etc. This is important as it is a common mistake made by poultry enthusiasts.

The port town of Marans in France has a long history with chickens that stretches back as far as the 13^th century. Game chickens arriving by ship would cross with the local marsh hens, and a new breed began to emerge. They would not have looked like the Marans that we know today.

In the late 1800s, other breeds like Brahma and Langshan (and a few more, but no one knows for sure exactly which breeds) were added. The result was a hardy bird that provided excellent meat with an added twist – the eggs were unusually dark compared to other chickens’ eggs.

In 1929 The Marans Club of France was established. The standards for the breed were published in 1931. Since then, it has become a popular breed in several countries, each accepting different Marans varieties.

While there are nine varieties of Marans in the French standard, the American Poultry Association (APA) recognizes only four varieties. These are:

• Black Copper (accepted in 2011)
• Wheaten (accepted in 2011)
• White (accepted in 2014)
• Black (accepted in 2018)

Appearance

While the color of the eggs is an essential piece of the puzzle, ensuring that birds referred to as Marans chickens meet specific physical criteria is also important. With so many Marans varieties, it would be easy to create chickens with the correct color plumage that don’t meet other breed-specific standards.

One of the points of contention among Marans breeders in the USA was whether or not the birds should have feathered legs. The British standard prefers clean shanks, but since it is a French breed, it was decided to adhere to the feather-leg standard used in France.

Like all recognized breeds, the American Poultry Association has set specific guidelines for the four colors of Marans chickens they recognize. These include:

• The eyes must be orange – even in the dark breeds
• Lightly feathered legs
• There are minimum weight specifications
• Tightly feathering
• 5-point combs
• Red wattles and comb

Colors

As mentioned, although many types of Marans chickens exist, only four are recognized by the APA. Although there are Marans specific physical traits the breed must adhere to, different varieties are distinguishable from each other by their coloration.

Black Marans – They have black feathers all over. The black may have a slight shimmer when the light catches it.

Black copper – A beautiful blend of gold and copper feathers. The hens show slight coppery highlights around their neck feathers, but the roosters can be magnificent when their plumage is fully developed. This is one of the most popular Marans chicken varieties in the United States.

White – Both sexes have pure white plumage. They are eye-catching birds but are not recommended for poultry owners that have problems with predators. Like white chalk on a green chalkboard, it’s tough for white Marans to hide!

Wheaten – The hens are a straw color with a darker head. Roosters are much darker with coppery tinges.

One of the most popular Marans chicken varieties amongst backyard breeders are Cuckoo Marans. Although the APA has not yet recognized it, the characteristic mottled coloring of the variety is beautiful.

Marans Chickens Size And Weight

Mature Marans chickens are a sizeable weight which has continued to be a drawcard for poultry owners needing hardy dual-purpose birds. As approved by the APA, the standard weight of fully grown birds is 8lbs for a rooster and 6.5lbs for mature hens.

But wait, there’s more… although they aren’t officially recognized, Marans chickens have mini-me versions of themselves available! Bantam Marans are difficult to find in the USA, and their eggs aren’t as dark as the full-size version. However, they are cute and feisty compared to the larger relatives!

Marans Chickens Rooster Vs. Hen? How To Tell The Difference

There are some notable differences between adult Marans chickens, so most people have no problem telling them apart. However, it can be a very different story with chicks, and even when purchasing vent-sexed day-olds, the accuracy rate may be less than when buying other breeds.

One of the amazing features of Marans chickens is that, in some instances, it is possible to breed sex-linked crosses. Although this is quite a complicated concept and certainly needs to be clearly understood before it is attempted, what it means is, for example, if you use a darker rooster with lighter-colored hens. The will be that the sex of the chicks will be immediately identifiable by color when they hatch.

Mature Marans roosters are notably different physically and in temperament from Marans hens.

Roosters	Hens
Physically larger – standard set at 8lbs	Smaller – the accepted standard is 6.5lbs
Moderately large wattle with 5 points	Smaller comb with medium oval wattles
Full tails but tend to stay relatively short. The main tail feathers are broad and overlapping.	Short tail, which is carried at a 45-degree angle
Have a prominent, abundant hackle that flows over the shoulders	Long arched neck, but without a prominent hackle
The body has an overall rectangular shape	The body is more rounded than the males
Will begin to crow and develop leg spurs as it matures	No crowing or leg spur development
Docile but highly vigilant	Hens mind their own business

Egg Production: Are Marans Chickens Good Layers?

Despite being known for their dark, chocolatey brown eggs, Marans chickens are surprisingly average to poor layers compared to many other breeds. In fact, this was almost the end of them during the 1970s when commercial laying setups started to take over.

Hens in full production will produce between 150 – 200 eggs each year. That is about 2 – 3 eggs a week. However, egg production may slow or stop altogether during the winter season. However, this can be a good thing as it seems to recharge the Marans hen’s color ink cartridge. They usually lay darker eggs after the winter molt than the last eggs of the previous season.

What Color Eggs Do Marans Chickens Lay?

Just because a chicken is a Marans does not mean it is guaranteed to lay the darkest shade of eggs. Egg tone varies greatly and can be affected by everything from a bird’s genetics to its diet, how far it is in the laying cycle, and the time of year.

Hens tend to lay darker eggs at the start of their laying cycle. The further in the season they are, the less color pigment gets laid down during the laying process, so eggs gradually become a paler shade.

However, laying progressively lighter eggs usually does not mean that a Marans hen’s days of laying dark brown eggs are over. To reset the dark color, usually, all that is required is a rest period and winter molt.

Not all Marans eggs look identical. Some can be stippled or spotted, while others have an almost reddish-brown tinge. Breeders have individual preferences regarding this, and some only select even colored brown eggs for hatching.

Interestingly, the French Marans Club developed a Marans egg color chart that grades eggs according to their ‘browness’ on a scale of 1 – 9. Only hens that lay eggs with a color of 4 and above are considered Marans.

What Age Do Marans Chickens Lay?

Marans pullets usually begin to lay from around six months of age. This is also when they will lay their darkest shade of eggs.

The age of lay may be delayed slightly by the season, as Marans may not lay during the colder months. Eggs become gradually lighter throughout the laying cycle.

 Are Marans Chickens Broody?

Marans hens don’t often become broody, so if you want to increase your flock, you may need to invest in a home incubator to hatch your fertile egg stock. However, it does depend on the lines, and some stock seems more likely to brood than others.

Marans hens that do brood are reported to be excellent mothers. If this characteristic is important to you, be sure to purchase Marans chickens from reputable suppliers and check that the stock will likely become broody.

Personality

In terms of personality, Marans seem to inherently know and accept that they are chickens and not humans. They usually don’t make great lap chickens for anyone wanting daily cuddles from their birds, but they are well-mannered, friendly, and interested in what’s happening around them.

Another attribute that makes Marans desirable is that they are known to be relatively quiet and clean. Marans don’t usually soil their nesting boxes, and their calm temperaments make them a pleasure to have around.

Are Marans Chickens Aggressive?

Marans chickens are known to be compliant, docile, and not aggressive. This also includes the roosters.

While some individuals may break from this, they are generally easy-going birds. Although they may also become territorial with other roosters, if provided with enough space and the correct ratio of hens per rooster, Marans prefer peace over confrontation.

Are Marans Chickens Friendly?

Marans are friendly and well-known as a sweet and docile breed. Some breeders have found that their peaceful disposition requires them to decrease the number of hens per rooster in order to ensure that eggs are fertile.

Roosters can become defensive if they feel that other roosters are threatening their territory, which is understandable. In general, though, they are non-aggressive, placid birds that are great additions to any coop.

Are They Good For Novice Chicken Keepers?

Marans are excellent for novice poultry owners. They are attractive, docile, and rarely have health problems. However, for novices wanting masses of eggs, this is not the most productive breed, but they are an excellent dual-purpose breed that also produces fine-quality meat.

Like all breeds, some pros and cons should be considered before adding Marans chickens to your coop.

PROS	CONS
They do fine confined to coops. Although they are excellent foragers and will benefit from free-ranging, they can cope with confinement.	Not overly affectionate – they are friendly and curious but don’t usually make good cuddly pets.
They aren’t particularly noisy, making them a good choice for backyard chicken owners.	If confined, they can become overweight. It is better if they stay active.
Good dual-purpose birds	Although hens lay large, brown eggs, they may not lay as many eggs as well-known laying breeds like Rhode Island Reds.
Hardy and highly disease tolerant	They will lay less, or not at all, in winter
Docile and easy to handle	Depending on the comb size, they may need coop heating to prevent frostbite.
Roosters are placid but alert to possible predators and fast to warn the flock of potential threats.	The feathered legs can become damp and dirty if coop hygiene isn’t meticulously maintained.
They are fast-growing, so they are a good choice for table birds	To buy good quality Marans chickens is expensive, so you may not want to eat them

Chicken owners should remember that simply because Marans chickens can cope with confined conditions does not mean that they will thrive. Any breed of chicken kept in overcrowded or stressful conditions will result in behavioral challenges like bullying, egg eating, pecking, etc.

Marans Chickens Health

In terms of overall health, Marans chickens are outstanding. These hardy birds originated from the toughest surviving birds landing on French shores, and that robust good health trait is deeply ingrained in the breed.

So long as Marans receive a balanced staple diet and suitable shelter from the elements, they really are easy doers. Marans are also excellent foragers, which makes them ideal for free-range setups.

Although Marans are cold-hardy, they may not fare well in extremely cold areas as roosters have relatively large combs. This makes them prone to frostbite in icy temperatures, and they may need extra heating in their coop to avoid this condition.

Marans chickens are also not particularly suited to extremely hot climates, especially the darker-colored birds. Since they also tend to become overweight if kept confined in a coop, heat can be a significant threat to the health of these birds.

Marans Chickens Heat Tolerance

The feathered legs are a good clue that Marans aren’t the best chicken breed to keep in very hot climates. While they can tolerate short periods of heat, owners must remain vigilant to ensure that the birds, especially the roosters with their impressively long shoulder mantles of tightly packed feathers, don’t get heat stroke.

Quick ways to keep birds cool during periods of extreme heat:

• Ensure there is plenty of shade
• Offer cold treats like watermelon and cucumber
• If the birds are inside a coop, try to create a breeze to keep the air moving
• Add ice to their water
• Add extra water points where less dominant birds can drink confidently throughout the day.

Where To Buy Marans Chickens?

If you are ready to add a twist of French charm to your coop, the next step is to find reputable stock. Although fertile eggs and chicks are available from most major hatcheries, they come with hefty price tags. Getting quality stock will take a serious investment. One supplier lists 6-week-old black copper pullets at over $60 each!

Marans chickens are quite a rarity in the United States, and oddly enough, even though the APA does not recognize it, the most popular variety is the Silver Cuckoo Marans. There are, however, plenty of gorgeous types to choose from, and acquiring chickens that lay chocolate brChicken Breeds That Lay Brown Eggsown eggs can be an exciting addition to any coop.

FAQs

Are Marans Chickens Good To Eat?

In addition to their unique dark color eggs, Marans are excellent table birds. The meat is reputed to be of high quality.

Are Marans Roosters Aggressive?

Most Marans roosters are very well-mannered and non-aggressive. They are vigilant and quick to warn the flock of potential threats.

Although Marans roosters may not be aggressive towards humans, they may become territorial if there are too many roosters in a flock. It is essential to ensure the correct ratio of hens per rooster to avoid potential conflict.

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