Marans

The Marans is a French breed celebrated above all for its eggs, which are among the darkest of any chicken, ranging from a rich russet to a deep chocolate-brown. The depth of colour is laid down as a coating on the shell and tends to be at its most intense early in the laying season, gradually softening as the hen lays on. Beyond the eggs, the Marans is a sound dual-purpose bird of good size, sturdily built and well suited to a working flock, and in this country the breed is most often seen in the dark Cuckoo form, though it appears in several colours.

Marans are calm, robust and undemanding birds that do well either ranging freely or in a more confined run. They are hardy in our climate and generally easy to manage, with a placid disposition that makes them straightforward to keep alongside other breeds. They are a fair rather than heavy layer, but the quality and colour of the eggs more than make up for the moderate numbers, and the firm-bodied birds are a genuine dual-purpose choice. For keepers drawn to the novelty and beauty of very dark eggs from a steady, good-natured hen, the Marans is the obvious breed.