Marans Chicken

Marans is a chicken breed developed around the town of Marans in western France, prized above all for laying eggs with an unusually dark, deep brown shell, among the darkest of any standard chicken breed. It was formally standardized in France in the early twentieth century from local farmyard stock, later refined with outside crosses, and the French strain in particular was long kept as a closely guarded regional specialty before export. Marans hens are moderate producers of the deep chocolate colored eggs that are the breed's chief claim to fame among small flock keepers and specialty egg producers, and roosters typically show coppery black plumage in the most common color variety, though several other varieties exist. The breed has grown markedly in popularity among backyard and heritage poultry keepers in recent decades specifically for its distinctive egg color.