Black, Blue, and the Occasionally Splash Copper Marans
We are only offering these in baby chicks-
But- these will be included in rainbow dozen hatching eggs
Wooh—we love these dark egg layers—they have become an obsession! I have been working on my flock for over five years. It has been a love/hate relationship due to the time and effort I have invested in my breeding program. These beautiful creatures have been a balancing act to maintain color and adhere to the breed Standard of Perfection approved by the APA. We have over six separate coops working on different traits and features.
Our breeding program has evolved and matured as we have cultivated our hens and cockerels. Our goal is to have beautiful Black Copper Marans- we do have a few Blue and Splash Copper Marans. We work hard on the Standard of Perfection and Dark Chocolate Egg layers. Our goal has always been to blend the two. 90% of Breeders work on Dark Egg layers without regard to the Standard of Perfection. I have always felt that breed integrity was necessary, and moving the breed forward should always be the goal. If you were going to work on something, you might as well do it right. But- please understand- Marans are a high cull rate- meaning most breeders grow a lot out and select the best going forward.
**Please understand that Marans egg coloration fades throughout the laying season. They tend to be the lightest right before molt and the end of the season. They can start extremely dark and lighten as they lay. There is a photo showing one hen's eggs throughout the laying cycle as an example-- you could get eggs at any stage of laying. ** New Layers can take up to a month to develop their dark colorations. As a hen ages, she may also lose her beautiful copper coloration around her neck. Additionally, please note that her ability to produce those super dark eggs decreases with age, but she still carries that dark egg genetics.
Marans are still considered a newer breed in the United States. Even in my 5+ years of working with them, it remains a work in progress. We had a ton of ugly ducklings—that means I grew out a lot of roosters and hens-- and selected the best moving forward. It has been a lot of work.
I make no illusions that our flock is perfect. We continue to work on our tail set and more vibrant copper coloration in our hens. Our goal remains to balance the Standards of Perfection and Dark Egg layers. What we can claim is that our form and body stature are perfect!! We grow many chickens and only pick out the ones that conform to breed standards or come from super dark eggs. We keep trying to bridge that gap.
Transparency is essential to me, so listed are the flaws in my flock: chest leakage on some roosters. I find this trait essential in helping hens who lack copper coloration. It is finding the balance between the two. Our young cockerels tend to look a bit haggard as they grow out--- patience is essential. Those ugly ducklings will transform, and most folks are shocked by their progress. So the moral of the story is not to re-home them too soon. (You have been warned- you will regret it). My darkest laying line may have feathers on the middle toe. This is more prevalent in my roosters. I also have some dark-laying hens that lack copper around their necks; we have them paired with roosters with tons of copper, thus working on their copper on hackles. We continue to work to breed these few imperfections out. This past year, we had a few roosters whose tails grew slowly. They appeared rumpless-- although after some time, they did start to grow out. I typically give our roosters up to a year before we make the final cut. They change frequently and require sufficient time to make an assessment. We also experience some copper leakage in our darkest laying chicks; this typically molts out during the first adult molt.
These are a dual-purpose breed, and we strive to maintain their large stature. Some of my roosters are so big that we use turkey bands. Pullets typically mature 6-9 months. As with most things, genetics can occasionally surprise us. I can not guarantee that every pullet I produce will lay the darkest egg possible. There are too many genes involved in deciding egg color to be able to predict what every hen will lay reliably. There are at least seven brown egg genes and as many as twenty-four. Chicks will get a mix of genes, including egg color. We have removed many extraordinary chickens from our breeding pens because they did not meet color expectations or were great dark layers that didn't meet the Standard of Perfection. It is all a balancing act... but we did it all for those delicious and beautiful eggs!
The art of breeding and knowing what rooster to pair with what hen-- is truly an art form. If you have any questions, reach out... we are very transparent about how we breed and what we do--
While we don't currently show our chickens- as I am a bit OCD over biosecurity...--Never say Never..
We only offer this selection in baby chicks- shipping is rough on these beauties and folks continue to have issues hatching these dark eggs. Or a combination of issues. To negate these issues we are only offering baby chicks. If you want or need hatching eggs- we offer these in our Rainbow Dozen Hatching Eggs. If you vaccinate your chickens and need hatching eggs- please reach out and message me- we will try to to work with you.
Please make sure you have read our Shipping & Farm Pickup Agreement on hatching eggs and chicks. By purchasing, you agree to those terms and understand that shipping is risky with such products. There are no refunds or replacements on hatching eggs. We have updated our shipping and currently just a deposit is paid on order placement. This is primarily due to continued price increases from USPS= we will send an email detailing shipping options with pricing based on your zip code. We ship either UPS or USPS. If you have any questions please email or message us.
If you are placing an order for chicks, please select enough chicks—reminder: our boxes are big, but our minimum is four, regardless of pickup or shipping. We only ship baby chicks via Express, as we believe they deserve a higher level of care. We have established deposit pricing for up to 20 chicks. This deposit includes a chick shipping box, an aspen pad, heating pads (if needed), gel, and feed. You are paying a deposit at check out- based on your location -estimated amount of chicks- etc. Pricing will vary. If you have any questions please reach out. Please be aware that all orders are custom, so if you want chicks, there is at least a 21-day wait.