Chicken breed
Marans
Also called Black Copper Marans, Cuckoo Marans, French Black Copper Marans
Marans are a French dual-purpose breed known for very dark chocolate-brown eggs. Hens are calm, fairly quiet and lay at a moderate rate. They do well in cold weather but can struggle in heat.
At a glance
150–200eggs a year
3–6eggs a week
16–26weeks to first egg
6.5 lbhen weight
8 lbrooster weight
Largeegg size
Traits
- Cold hardyhigh
- Heat tolerantlow
- Goes broodymedium
- Egg colour
- dark chocolate brown
- Temperament
- calm, docile; somewhat reserved
- Noise
- quiet
- Origin
- France
- Comb
- single
- Bantam size
- No
- APA standard
- Recognized
- Purpose
- dual
Good for
- dark eggs
- cold climates
- suburban yards (quiet)
Watch out for
- can struggle in hot climates
Looks and feathers
Some lines/varieties have lightly feathered shanks. APA large-fowl varieties: Black, Black Copper, Wheaten, White; Cuckoo is not on the APA list.
Our drawing shows the most common US variety; colours vary.
Similar breeds
All breedsSources
- 1Black Copper Marans Day Old Chicks (product/breed profile)Meyer Hatchery
- 2Golden Cuckoo Marans Day Old Chicks (product/breed profile)Meyer Hatchery
- 3French Black Copper Marans (product/breed profile)Cackle Hatchery
- 4Cuckoo Marans (product/breed profile)Cackle Hatchery
- 5Accepted Breeds & VarietiesAmerican Poultry Association
- 6Marans (breed page)My Pet Chicken
- 7Managing Chickens From Chicks to Peak Egg ProductionUtah State University Extension (J. Okoh, E. Perry; October 2025)
- 8Chicken Breeds & Varieties (A2880), incl. APA standard weightsUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension
Hatcheries often disagree on eggs a year; ranges span every source we read. How we check the facts.