Black Copper Marans (Unavailable)

BCM's will not be available for the 2026 season.
I started getting eggs and chicks late in the 2025 season so I do not have a large enough population to begin selling from this flock.

The Flock

After several years without, I've made the decision to bring back a line of BCMs. Please note that our line focuses on dark egg color over SOP. We certainly will follow the SOP is much as possible but keep this in mind when ordering hatching eggs that birds may be over-melanized or have other non-SOP conformities.

History of the Marans

The Marans breed originated in France, in marshy areas close to the Atlantic coast. The breed is named after the historic port town of Marans. Evolution of the Marans type bird is said to have begun as early as the 13th century, with crosses between the local marsh hens and various gamecocks brought in to the port on ships.
Gradual development of the breed then continued through the centuries, including the introduction of Brahma and Langshan blood during the late 1800s. Marans in their modern form first began appearing in French poultry shows in 1914. The Marans Club of France was organized in 1929, and that club established the first standard for Marans in 1931.

Marans have been imported to the USA in small numbers for many years now, probably beginning around the time that soldiers returned to the States after World War II. Over the years, birds and eggs have been brought in not only from France but also from countries such as England, Canada, Australia, and possibly Belgium and Switzerland. Importations of "English type" clean-legged Marans have led to the establishment of many clean-legged flocks in this country, especially in the cuckoo variety; nonetheless, the American standard adheres to the French standard calling for lightly feathered shanks and toes.

Description

       Marans are best known for their large, russet brown eggs. This is a defining characteristic of the Marans breed, so selection for egg color and size should never be neglected.
   Physically, the Marans is a medium-sized bird with the character of a rustic farm hen, giving an impression of solidity and strength without being coarse. The legs are lightly feathered, but leg feathering should never be excessively heavy. Eye color is bright and clear in all varieties, never darkening into brown nor paling into yellow or pearl.
       The Marans is a general-purpose fowl for production of both meat and eggs. The breed is most famous for its large, dark chocolate-russet eggs, but it is also known for the fine flavor of its meat.

APA Standard of Perfection (SOP)

ROOSTERS

WEIGHTS:

Cock - 8 lbs.
Cockerel - 7 lbs.

COMB: Single, moderately large, straight, upright, evenly serrated with five points; the blade not touching the neck. Bright red in color.
BEAK: Long, stout and well curved, horn, black shading permitted
FACE: Smooth, skin fine and soft in texture, Bright red in color.
EYES: Large and prominent, reddish bay/orange
WATTLES: Medium in size, oval, skin fine in texture. Bright red in color.
EAR-LOBES: Average in size, long. Bright red in color.
HEAD: Moderate in size, slightly flattened on top, and long, bright & clean red/copper
NECK: Moderately long and full, arched. Hackle abundant, flowing well over the shoulders.

Hackles: Lustrous deep copper, neither yellow nor mahogany. Some feathers, especially in the lower hackle, may include a narrow dark stripe through the middle of each feather, terminating in a point near its lower extremity.
Front of Neck: Black with markings of deep copper

BACK: Wide at the shoulders, long, flat, slightly tilted to the rear. Slightly more inclined than that of the female. Saddle feathers are abundant, saddle large and slightly raised

Saddle feathers: Same as hackles

TAIL: Full, rather short, carried at an angle of 45 degrees above horizontal.

Main tail feathers - broad and overlapping, shorter than average. Black with slight luster
Sickles and Coverts - shorter than average. Lustrous black.

WINGS: Short, held close to the body, carriage nearly horizontal. Primaries and secondaries -- broad and overlapping in natural order when wing is folded.

Shoulders: black
Fronts: black
Bows: deep russet red
Bars: black
Coverts: black
Primaries: black
Secondaries: black, exposed portion forming black wing bay

BREAST: Strong, broad, and full. Well-rounded when viewed from both the front and side. No lacing.

Solid black or with a few copper spots.

BODY AND FLUFF:

Body: deep, long and broad, especially through the shoulders which are carried high. Overall, rectangular in shape.
Fluff: medium in length.

LEGS & TOES: Legs set well apart and straight when viewed from the front.

Lower thighs: strong and well feathered. Solid black feathers.
Shanks: medium length, stout, and straight; lightly feathered down the outer sides. Light to mid-slate skin color, showing pink between the scales. Solid black feathers.
Toes: four long and well-separated toes on each foot. Light to mid-slate skin color, showing pink between the scales. Outer toes lightly feathered, middle toes free from feathers, bottoms of feet are pinkish white. Solid black feathers.

PLUMAGE: Moderately tight and smooth textured.

Hens

WEIGHTS:

Hen - 6.5 lbs.
Pullet - 5.5 lbs.

COMB: Single, smaller than that of the male; straight and upright, evenly serrated with five points, and fine in texture. No female in or near production with the rear portion of the comb lopped should be discriminated against. Bright red in color.
BEAK: Long, stout and well curved.
FACE: Smooth, skin fine and soft in texture. Bright red in color.
EYES: Large and prominent, reddish bay/orange
WATTLES: Medium in size, oval. Bright red in color.
EAR-LOBES: Average in size, long. Bright red in color.
HEAD: Moderate in size, slightly flattened on top, and long.
BACK: Wide at the shoulders, long, flat, and slightly tilted to the rear. Slightly less inclined than that of the male. Solid black.
NECK: Moderately long and full, arched.

Hackles: copper with a narrow dark stripe through the middle of each feather, terminating to a point near its lower extremity.
Front of Neck: black with markings of copper.

TAIL: Full, rather short, carried at an angle of 45 degrees above horizontal. Main tail feathers broad and overlapping, shorter than average. Solid black.

WINGS: Short, held close to the body, carriage nearly horizontal. Primaries and secondaries broad and overlapping in natural order when wing is folded. Solid black.
BREAST: Strong, broad, and full. Well-rounded when viewed from both the front and side. Solid black with a few copper spots. No lacing.
BODY AND FLUFF: Solid black.

Body: deep, long and broad, especially through the shoulders which are carried high. Should be more rounded than the male.
Fluff: medium in length.

LEGS AND TOES: Legs set well apart, straight when viewed from the front.

Lower thighs: strong and well feathered, solid black.

Shanks: medium length, stout, and straight; lightly feathered down the outer sides. Light to mid-slate skin color, showing pink between the scales, solid black feathers.
Toes: four long and well-separated toes on each foot. Outer toes lightly feathered, middle toes free from feathers. Light to mid-slate skin color, showing pink between the scales, middle toes free from feathers, bottoms of feet are pinkish white, solid black feathers.

PLUMAGE: Moderately tight and smooth textured.