Does anyone have Marans??? ...wondering about their personality

[BeardedLadyFarm]

I have had an variety of Marans colors, and none of them have been as friendly as say an EE, Orpington, or BR, but they can be pleasant. My cuckoo is quiet and refuses to be held. My Black Copper is pretty skittish and mouthy, and hates to be touched. I had a couple that were real loudmouths and I had to re-home them. I have a Wheaten cockerel at the moment who is a doll, and is always in my lap. Sadly, I can't keep him!

Cuckoos don't lay the darkest eggs. Unless you're getting them from a breeder who can guarantee egg color, I wouldn't hope for anything spectacular egg-wise. My cuckoo lays quite dark for a cuckoo, and the eggs are big smooth and shiny. She's a lousy layer though. She lays 10 eggs then takes off 2 months. There are dark lines of Cuckoos out there, but they seem to be the exception. I've never heard of anyone being impressed with the dark color of their hatchery Cuckoo eggs.

 

[denasfarm]

I have 4 (2yo) French Cuckoo Marans from Ideal Hatchery. The Roo is huge but, very a friendly, laid back sorta guy. The hens are freakishly Insane. They spaz out at the slightest thing. They are too big to fly over but they run screaming away if they think you are after/Looking at them, They stand off and wait for you to feed and leave.
The eggs are disapointingly not much different in color than my Rhode Island Red or Barred Rock eggs. In a Carton I doubt you could tell them apart.

I also have a Black Copper Marans and her half olive egger sister from a fellow BackYard chickener, that I recieved in an egg swap about a year ago.
They lay beautiful dark eggs and are little social butterflies. The key to what you end up with is who you get them from.

 

[FRlEDeggs]

Quote:
I don't know if you were talking to me, or somebody else

Well, I got my birds from a hatchery, and hatchery birds you can never be too sure about

If you got them from a breeder, there's a better chance of darker eggs, but it's still slimthey still might not be that dark!

Cuckoo Marans lay the lightest eggs of all the Marans birds, usually ranking low on the Marans egg color scale. I hear that most Cuckoo Marans lay around a 2-3 on this chart: http://marans-club.chez-alice.fr/echllang.htm#echelle In fact, the color doesn't usually differ from a common brown egg.

However! I'm not positive about all this so experts do correct me if I'm wrong

Sorry for the disappointment, I was hoping my Cuckoo Marans would lay dark eggs too

 

[Lbrad7]

I have a trio of French Black Coppers and they are some of the sweetest birds that I have ever owned. You can walk up and pick up Roo or the hens with no problem. They get along with the rest of my other breeds very well and are just laid back in general. They kind of remind me of the hippie generation of the 60's in that they just want mellow out and kick it with their friends.

I dont know about the the other Marans but I LOVE the FBCMs. I don't think you could ever go wrong with them.

By the way..just caught Phil Harris' final episode on The Deadliest Catch....RIP buddy! Thanks for the memories.....

 

[chics in the sun]

I'm hoping my FCBM will relax and get friendlier. I didn't raise her from a chick, and I added her to my existing flock of three a few weeks ago. A lot of people say they are very laid back. She is also only 16 weeks, so maybe once she reaches POL. I also think they are so elegant looking - they walk with such poise compared to my other chickens. A sort of easy, graceful stride instead of the toddling, silly chicken walk of my other ones, but not the road-runner style dash of my leghorn. Like a little super-model with feathers.

RIP Phil - he was always one of my favorite capitans on that show.