Cuckoo Marans lay some of the most beautiful and darkest eggs of any breed. If I could add a few Cuckoo Marans to our flocks for the dark brown eggs I would in a second! The egg basket colors would be stunning.
They will lay around 150 dark brown, almost chocolate eggs a year. This breed is generally friendly and will make a great addition to your backyard chicken flock.
They are also known to be cold-hardy.
Reasons to love them
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7pej_hAh_Z/
History
The Poultry Keeper tells us that Marans were developed in the 1920s.
"The original Marans had lightly feathered legs, something that can still be seen in French birds. Many strains of Copper Black Marans (non-standard in the UK) still have reasonable amounts of feathering on the legs and are often referred to as 'French Copper Black Marans' because of this."
The Marans are thought to be made up of a number of very old breeds: Barred Plymouth Rock, Coucou de Malines, Croad Langshan, and Faverolles but also some Rennes (this is a place in Brittany and thought to be a cuckoo breed), Gatinaise and possibly Brakel.
Qualities
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7lrP2zgHnk/
They are hardy in winter but not great birds for really warm climates. They do well in confinement, too, which is great when the weather is less than perfect.
- These birds are known as a dark-egg-laying, sex-linked hybrid production.
- Weight: The hens normally get to a weight of around 7 pounds and roosters will reach a weight of around 8.5 pounds when fully grown.
- There is a Bantam version if you want a tiny Maran.
- Colors: Black, Dark Cuckoo, Golden Cuckoo, Silver Cuckoo, Black Tailed Buff, Brown Red (Copper Black), Copper Blue, Silver Black, White, Wheaten and Columbien (Ermine).
Egg production
According to Back Roads Living, they will lay around 150 dark brown eggs a year.
"This is not a chicken that is considered a great layer but an egg every other day or so is still a good laying hen. You will get somewhere between 3 - 5 eggs a week from her."
This beautiful dual-purpose chicken from France lays an egg color that is the envy of all chicken keepers. Anyone with the Maran in their coop always brags and shows off their chocolate brown eggs. I see pics of Marans eggs on Insta all day and think about adding these brown egg layers to my flock. The chocolate-brown eggs almost look painted when you see them next to other eggs.
This hardy breed that is also a dual-purpose bird would be fun to watch free-ranging on our pasture! We have a barred rock rooster that is similar looking to the Maran hens. We need some Cuckoo Marans Chickens, though!
Know someone who would like to add this chicken breed to their flock? Tell us in the comments below!
