The breed as it was when first brought to England was very variable in appearance. The only colors at this time were the white and brassy black. The breed became more of a standard breed than a country fowl due to the vigorous breeding standards of early British breeders, however this was only started fairly early in the 20th century, To the present day there is still much work to be done as "throw backs" are prevalent in the form of white and black birds being bred from other colored strains. Sporadically appearing yellow coloration to the legs and beak rather than the preferred white is also a problem found in the breed.
All have red or orange eyes and white feet. They are in the medium weight class, generally rather smaller than the more common Rhode Island Red.
Black Copper Marans are generally quiet and docile; but they are quite active, taking well to free ranging in rough terrain. They were originally bred in the marshy areas of France and can cope with damper conditions.
Marans lay around 150 dark brown eggs each year. Marans are an historically dual-purpose bird, prized not only for their dark eggs but for their table qualities as well.
