History
Marans poultry take their name from the town of Marans in France where they were developed in the mid-1800s as a breed for both meat and eggs.
The original name of the breed was the Marandaise. The dark brown Marans eggs were first imported into the UK by a London wholesaler in the 1880s and
became very popular, leading to British poultry farmers breeding Marans.
Behaviour
Marans are placid and easy to look after, making them a good garden hen.
They will live in runs quite happily but do better as free rangers as they will get fat if they don't get enough exercise - a legacy of their dual purpose origins.
Varieties
The majority of the Marans in the UK are Cuckoo Marans, ranging from a very dark grey colour to silver, with barred feathers (like a cuckoo).
They have bright orange eyes and white legs. All Marans lay brown eggs but some lay darker eggs than others.
Egg colour: brown
