Marans
Some incredible Marans eggs from Belgium
Photo © Jos Gruijters 2002 Belgium
A circle of Marans eggs with a white and 2 normal brown eggs in the center
for contrast
Photo ©Judy Linn
Marans eggs, with one white egg for contrast
This breed, which originated in western France in the town of Marans, is best known for its dark chocolate colored eggs. It is a fast grower and does well in damp areas, having been developed in a marshy portion of France. The original French birds have feathered legs, but this characteristic has been bred out of the British and many American lines. The French recognize 8 varieties: 1. Silver Cuckoo, 2. Golden Cuckoo, 3. White, 4. Coppered Black, 5. Black, 6. Wheat, 7. Black-tailed Fawn, and 8. Ermine; they are considering adding the Silvered Black (created since 1932 and remarkable for the color and spherical form of its eggs). In the Cuckoo Marans, males are lighter in color than females--it is said to be possible to color sex them even as chicks with pretty good accuracy. I've never seen or heard about the other varieties.
More information (in French and English) on the history of this breed--"the hens that lay James Bond's favorite eggs"--can be found at the site "La Marans."
And here's an article on "The Marans" from the SPPA Bulletin.
Breed clubs:
American Marans
Club
Channing Grisham
6780 Hwy. 207
Anderson, AL 35610
256-247-3607
e-mail: Andersonhatchery@aol.com
Marans Preservation Society
R. M. Presley
133 County Road 437
Athens, TN 37303
e-mail: kdoctor1@earthlink.net
The Marans Club
Mr. A. Heeks
44 Poplar Drive
Alsager, Staffordshire, ST7 2RW
England
phone: +4401270-882189
Marans Club de
France
Serge
Deprez 12
rue de l'Église
02500 - OHIS
France
phone: +333 23 97 45 03
pages in French and English
Marans Links:
North American Marans Club Line Registry
The Marans Group - a series of web boards on this popular breed
Kintaline Farm's Marans chickens
Here's Robert Stephenson's page on Marans
Marans at T&M Poultry Farm
Marans 101 from the SPPA
Marans at Little Redpale Farm
There are Marans at Cache Valley Poultry
Arixa's page about Marans Eggs
There are Black Copper Marans at Red Dirt Chicken Ranch
Marans at MX-Farms
Marans at Devonshire Traditional Breed Centre
Oil paintings of Marans
You'll find many varieties of Marans at Bev's Marans
Marans at Lyn's AlmostAFarm
Fertile hatching eggs in the UK
A Cuckoo Marans cock viewed from both sides.
A Cuckoo Marans hen
Photo courtesy of Ray Seney
More Marans eggs -- these from Germany
Photo courtesy of Susan Aldridge
This photo shows clearly the difference between Gold and Silver Cuckoo
Marans
Photo © Jos Gruijters 2003 Belgium
Marcia's White Marans cock "Sunny" and a White pullet
Photos courtesy of Marcia Delaski
A Black Copper Marans rooster
Photo courtesy of Caroline Strike
Clear colors on a Copper Black Marans cockerel
Photo courtesy of Marcia Delaski
Young Black Tailed Buff Marans
Photo courtesy of Anderson Hatchery
A Gold Salmon Marans hen
Photo courtesy of Janet Tallon
Silver Black Marans from Belgium
Photo © Jos Gruijters 2002 Belgium
Two nice Cuckoo Marans bantam hens
Photos courtesy of Rupert Stephenson
Black Copper Marans rooster from France
Photo courtesy of Stuart Sutton -
french-hens@hotmail.com
Three-month-old Cuckoo Marans: two pullets and a lighter cockerel
Photo courtesy of Bill and Sue Tivol
Black-tailed Buff Marans and Splash Marans, both from Belgium
Photos © Jos Gruijters 2003 Belgium
Marans bantam (left) and large females
Photos courtesy of Rupert Stephenson
A Black Copper Marans flock
Photo courtesy of Anderson Hatchery
"Misty," a Blue Marans hen
Photo courtesy of Greg Catt
Wheaten Marans from Belgium
Photos © Jos Gruijters 2002 Belgium
A Black Copper rooster
Photo courtesy of Anderson Hatchery
A Cuckoo Marans pullet on range
Photo courtesy of Pam Marshall
A Black Marans rooster
Photo courtesy of Andrea Glover
A Blue Marans cockerel
Photo courtesy of Laurie Brooke Adams
From England -- a Cuckoo Marans rooster
Photo courtesy of Rupert Stephenson
Cuckoo Marans: Cockerel and pullets
Photo courtesy of Robert Stephenson
Pam's Cuckoo cockerel
Photo courtesy of Pam Marshall
A young trio of White Marans
Photo courtesy of Laura Phillips
Here is a Black Marans hen
Photo courtesy of Marcia Delaski
A Birchen Marans cockerel surrounded by pullets
Photos courtesy of Marcia Delaski
A Black Copper Marans pullet
Photo courtesy of Bonnie Meikle
A Copper Black Marans pair from Belgium
Photo © Jos Gruijters 2002 Belgium
A Birchen Marans pullet from above
Photo courtesy of Janet Tallon
A pair of Black Copper Marans, a young male on the left
Photos courtesy of Janet Tallon
A very nice bantam Marans hen from the UK
Photo courtesy of Rupert Stephenson
A fourteen-week-old pair of Black Marans
Photo courtesy of Heather Langdon
A handsome White Marans cockerel
Photo courtesy of Marcia Delaski
An 18-week-old Black Copper Marans pullet
Photo courtesy of Sheila Corbitt
My five-year-old Marans hen "Lori," that I keep because she is an
excellent broody
Photo courtesy of Ginger Carson
Dwarfism (a rare mutant) in Marans: note small comb and wattles and short
legs on this pullet
Photo courtesy of Laura Phillips
These 8-week-old Whites hatched as sports from Cuckoo Marans
Photo courtesy of David Grote
A Frizzled Marans rooster
Photo courtesy of Leva
Speckledy Hens, a popular commercial cross (with what, I don't know) of
Marans in England - I believe it's one of the
Sex-links
Photo courtesy of Sue Flude
Two Cuckoo Marans chicks, with a younger sibling
Photo courtesy of Sylvia Peatman
A couple more Cuckoo Marans chicks
Photo courtesy of Lester Stocker
Color sexing Cuckoo Marans at 4 days: female on left
Photos courtesy of Laura Phillips
A Black Copper Marans chick -- you can see the leg feathering on this chick,
which is the standard in France, the country of origin for the breed
Photo © Sheane & Bonnie Meikle
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