About Marans Chickens

The Marans is a breed of chicken that is considered to be a general-purpose fowl, which means that they produce edible eggs and can also be eaten for their meat. They are most famous for their dark, reddish-brown eggs. This unique attribute sets them apart from other breeds that produce lighter eggs and has resulted in the breed gaining popularity in the United States.

  1. Origin

    • The Marans chicken breed originated in France and is named after the small port town of Marans, located on the Atlantic coast. It is thought that the Marans began to evolve in the 13th century as local marsh hens crossbred with gamecocks that were brought in on ships. The Marans as it is known today first appeared in French poultry shows in 1914 and later in English poultry shows in 1934. The breed began to appear in the United States during the 1940s, as American soldiers returned home from World War II, bringing the bird with them.

    Appearance

    • The Marans chickens are medium-sized birds that come in a variety of colors. The most popular is Cuckoo, which has a white and black speckled appearance due to its barred feathers. Both males and females have a single upright comb with five serrated points on top of their heads. The female's comb is significantly smaller than the male's, making it relatively easy to tell the genders apart. The Marans has large, prominent eyes, a long neck, a broad chest, short wings and a short tail that sticks up at an angle. It has smooth feathers that lay tightly against its body.

    Eggs

    • The Marans is best known for its large, round, deep brown eggs and is often referred to as a "chocolate egger" for this reason. Marans chickens are said to produce the darkest eggs in the world. The dark reddish-brown coloring of the eggs is the result of genetic variations in the breed that are not well understood. It is known that egg color is created in utero, as the protective outer layer of the shell, known as the cuticle, is formed. Marans eggs receive extra pigmentation in the cuticle, mostly in the form of protoporphyrin and biliverdin.

    Standard

    • The Marans breed is not recognized by the American Poultry Association, the organization responsible for publishing the standards used to judge purebred fowl at poultry shows in the United States. However, a group of American Marans enthusiasts banded together in 2008 to form the Marans Chicken Club USA in order to petition the APA to recognize the Marans breed.