The Marans have a long history. The earliest Marans date back to the 12th and 13th centuries. During this time they were thought to be produced from wild “swamp hens” and victorious game birds brought to the French ports on English ships. After many years farmers started to take an interest in the Marans and formed standards in the 19th century. The interest of the Marans took a steep decline during WWII. Luckily individuals kept the breed going. Sometime around 1990, the standards were set for the Black Copper Marans and they now have a worldwide interest. This breed is the rarest dark brown egg layer in the United States. The Black Copper Marans were admitted into the American Standard of Perfection in 2010.

The Black Copper Maran is a lightly feather legged bird. They lay the darkest chocolate brown egg. You will get on average 150-200 large eggs per year. The hen will weigh around 6punds and the rooster will be around 8 pounds. This breed is also a good dual-purpose bird.