Marans

The Marans are quiet, gentle and child-friendly chickens, making them a great addition to any backyard flock. With an impressive lifespan of 8-10 years, these hens will provide you with great company and fresh eggs for many years. They can come in a variety of colours including Cuckoo, Golden Cuckoo, Black, Birchen, Black Copper, Wheaten, Black-tailed Buff, White, and Columbian.

Originating from France the Marans are well-known for their strikingly dark, chocolate-brown eggs. This is a unique characteristic that is due to porphyrins, which are pigments in the eggs that oxidise to a dark brown colour when exposed to bright light. This results in eggs collected in spring and summer being darker than those collected in winter and autumn.

Marans are also quite good layers producing around 4 eggs per week on a high-grade feed, or up to 200 eggs per year. They reach maturity at around 26-35 weeks (6 to 8 months), and will lay until they're about 5-6 years old. 

Marans are a sturdy breed known for their fast growth and resistance to diseases. They thrive in mild climates but cope well in both warm and cold conditions, as we tend to experience here in Victoria​​.

They are also known for their tight feathering, typically found in gamebirds which includes short, narrow and rigid feathers that lack much fluff. They have medium to large-sized single combs, red earlobes and medium-sized wattles. 

When it comes to care, Marans require a larger coop that can accommodate their relatively large size. Our rule of thumb is to always allow at least 1 m2 per chicken in the run area. A good-sized nesting box at least A3 in size is quite sufficient for larger chickens like the Marans.

Whether you're looking for a productive layer, a gentle pet, or a colourful addition to your flock, the Marans breed offers an excellent choice.