Here is extra information about all Marans.
Our breeders are from 3 different sources. These are the lines of Copper Marans I used to build my line:
- Black Coppers from local source
- Blue / Black / Splash Coppers from another local breeder
- Black Coppers from Mashburns Marans
History – For several years I interbred the first 2 lines, selecting for dark eggs and keeping the blue gene in the line. These were significantly better than average Copper Marans from hatcheries, but not as dark as pictures I was seeing. One summer a customer offered me some cockerels from Mashburns Marans. I used those over my hens and the F1’s laid eggs that were much darker (as seen in the pic below). I have continued to breed the improved line, continually selecting for the darkest possible eggs.
In 2024 I purchased chicks from Mashburns Marans and am maintaining a separate breeding pen of that line. Those chicks are available also to local breeders. Their egg color is really indistinguishable from my primary line. Randy Mashburn is well known as a breeder and shows his stock. It is interesting (and genetically useful) to have a second line of Copper Marans, but for non-breeders looking for the darkest possible eggs, I recommend sticking with my primary line, which has the added benefit of producing some blue chicks as well.
Summer 2025 Update – I have been evaluating and comparing the 2 lines for months now. I see very few differences in the 2 lines. These are “impressions” more than facts supported by hard data. With only 5 hens in one pen and 8 in the other, the data set is pretty small to really compare.
- Egg laying rate – Very similar during the spring, but the Mashburn line seems to lay for longer
- Egg darkness – Very similar during the spring, but the Mashburn line fades more, perhaps because of the longer laying
- Survivability – A higher percentage of the Mashburns perished during our rather hard winter
- Feather color – The Heltzel line has good hackle color in more of the cockerels, pullets seem more similar
- Aggression – The Heltzel line has never shown any aggression. One Mashburn cockerel showed some aggression, others were fine
Future Plans – Keeping the lines distinct may not really be useful. Need to decide whether to combine them or not. The Heltzel line has always been a good winter layer for me. Perhaps the summer slowdown is how they can come back into lay in late fall. All hens from both lines lay some very dark eggs, pretty consistently. This gives me freedom to select for better feather color, especially in the hackles of the females, which has suffered in the past few years of heavy selection for darker eggs.
Overview – These are beautiful birds, both sexes. I especially like the colors of the blue copper hens. They all have feathers on their legs, like Marans should. Roosters are large, imposing birds, often used as guardians for laying flocks. I have found them all to be docile with people, but among the best at protecting their flock from small hawks.
Chicks are sold straight run, but should be sexable around 5 or 6 weeks of age. Copper Marans are probably the easiest cockerels (young roosters) to rehome because they are so beautiful, calm around people, good protectors, and they pass their dark egg genes to their progeny, so a cockerel from a good dark egg line is valuable as a breeder.
