Blue Copper Marans are one of the most popular varieties of Marans Chickens. This is a beautiful but rare breed that can stand out as a gem among your flock. They lay medium-sized dark brown eggs so, If you are a chicken enthusiast and want to keep a good-looking breed with excellent egg and meat production, Blue Copper Marans are the best suited for you.
History of Blue Copper Marans
Blue Copper Marans are known to have originated in the Marans region of France, which is a small town in western France. That is why these birds got their name, French Blue Copper Marans. In the mid-1800s, some sailors brought these birds to France from their travels. People in France liked these Marans chickens because they produced flavorful eggs and meat.
Despite the popularity of many new kinds of chicken breeds, these birds are still loved in many areas worldwide because of their distinctive egg color.
Appearance
Blue Copper Marans are beautiful medium-sized birds with unique silky blue plumage. Blue Marans have a deep blue shade throughout the body, while their heads have a copper-colored hue, giving them a unique appearance compared to other Marans varieties.
Our Blue Copper Marans roosters and hens have feathered legs, and the copper color on their feathers, especially around their neck, is the most elegant trait of this breed.
They have red earlobes and bright red wattles, while the beak is usually yellow-colored. These birds typically have glowing eyes. These birds also have a well-feathered and long tail, adding charm to this beautiful bird.
Features:
- Bright red ear lobes and wattles
- Single Comb
- Smooth Blue plumage
- Coppery accents on the head
- Feathered legs
- Bright eyes
- Well-feathered tails
Weight of Blue Copper Marans
Blue Copper Marans rooster mostly weigh 8 lbs, while the Blue Copper Marans hen can weigh about 6.5 lbs. However, their weight can vary depending on the feed and environment you provide to them.
Breed Standard
Blue Copper Marans is an excellent chicken breed and likely to recognized by the American Poultry Association (APA) soon. It is like an achievement in the poultry world because the American Poultry Association only recognizes breeds with superior appearance, genetics, and attributes compared to other common chicken breeds.
Blue Copper Marans belong to the Marans chicken breed which is among the most popular chicken breeds in the world. Marans have a lot of variations, but the famous color variations of Maran chicken are named below:
- Cuckoo Marans
- Black Copper Marans
- Golden Cuckoo Marans
- Wheaten Marans
- White Marans
- Brown Marans
- Birchen Marans
The Personality of the Blue Copper Marans
The personality of Blue Copper Marans is given below:
Temperament:
These Chickens are very friendly and docile like other Marans chickens. They always show a calm and composed behavior. Our Blue Copper Marans are very lovely to other breeds of our flock. They don’t engage in fights with different breeds and maintain friendliness with everyone. The roosters of this breed are also surprisingly calm, but they can show aggression towards other roosters.
Hardiness:
Marans chickens are famous for their resilient nature and Blue Copper Marans are no different. They are a tough chicken breed that can survive in extreme conditions. They can adapt to new surroundings quickly and easily bear the changing weather conditions.
Their robust nature helps them to survive under challenging conditions. Our Blue Copper Marans don’t face difficulty in cold weather, we have never used heaters or other electric appliances. They can also bear the heat of summer with comfort.
Noise Level:
Blue Copper Marans are a calm chicken breed. They can sometimes vocalize, especially when excited and curious, but these chickens are quiet compared to other chicken breeds.
Similarly, don’t worry about their roosters because they are peaceful and will not disturb your surroundings by making unnecessary noise. You can keep these chickens in urban areas, even areas with noise restrictions.
Lifespan:
The lifespan of these chickens ranges typically from 5 to 8 years. However, these chickens’ longevity depends on critical factors like feed quality, diet, living conditions, and protection from health issues. If you keep them according to all the factors above, these birds might even exceed this range.
Dual Purpose Bird
Blue Copper Marans are excellent egg producers and meat producers. It is rare quality in chickens, but Maran chickens are famous for their dual-purpose nature (excellent in both egg and meat production).
Blue Copper Marans Egg Production
Blue Copper Marans are reliable egg layers. Usually, the hens start laying eggs around the age of 5 to 6 months. You can expect a yield of roughly 150 to 250 eggs annually from each blue copper maran hen but these numbers can increase or decrease depending upon their diet and living condition.
Egg production can also vary among different individuals because, in our case, one of our blue copper maran hens produces about 250 eggs annually. In comparison, another hen lays about 170 eggs per year.
Egg Color
Maran Chicken eggs are famous globally because of their unique dark color. So, like other Marans chickens, blue marans also lay dark brown or chocolate-colored eggs, which adds to their charm and attracts chicken enthusiasts. Their egg color is slightly lighter than Black Copper Marans, but they still lay darker eggs than other common chicken breeds.
You can buy the blue copper maran chicks from the renowned hatcheries but don’t purchase from untrusted sellers because these are rare .
Blue Copper Marans Meat Production
As mentioned earlier, the blue copper marans are also excellent meat producers due to their dual-purpose nature. The meat of these chickens is very tender and flavorful. When fully grown, these birds have a significant weight, which makes them excellent for meat production.
If you are keeping and raising these chickens only for meat, then you have to pay special attention to their diet and give them the essential nutrients for maximum growth. More care means steady growth and production of meat with excellent texture and taste.
PROS AND CONS Of Blue Copper Marans Chickens
Blue Copper Marans have a lot of benefits but at the same time they also have some disadvantages as well. So, here is the list of some pros and cons of these chickens:
PROS
- Excellent foragers
- Dark brown eggs
- Good Egg producers
- Excellent meat Production
- Flavorful Meat
- Docile and polite temperament
CONS
- Expensive Chicks
- Frostbite prone
- Very rare breed
- Don’t like too much handling
- Fewer Eggs per annum than Production Breeds
How to Raise Blue Copper Marans? Care Guide
Blue Copper Marans Chicken is a very rare chicken breed so you need to take extra care of them to help them grow properly.
External Environment
Blue Copper Marans likes to roam around in free space and enjoy foraging. They can became lazy if you keep them in a small space and don’t let them enjoy the external environment. These chicken can easily tolerate cold weather but they might face difficulty during too much warm weather. So, you must provide them a cold environment where they can live happily.
Feeding
These chickens are excellent foragers and this exercise helps to keep them healthy. Although, they can find their food by foraging but you have to give them the requited nutrients to enhance their growth. Normally, a 16 to 18% layer feed is perfect for French Blue Copper Marans. However, you can increase the protein percentage when they molt.
Coop Set up
A perfect and comfortable coop can make your chicken happy that will result in their excellent growth and egg production. Blue Cooper Marans likes free space so, their coop must be a bit larger with extra space for roaming. A 4 to 6 square feet coop for each chicken would be ideal but you can make it even bigger if you have some more extra space available.
The roosting space must also be between 10 to 12 inches so that these chickens can spread out during summer. Lastly, but most importantly, you must provide a 12×12 inches nesting box to maximum 3 Marans where they can lay egg peacefully.
Conclusion – Are They Right For You?
Blue Copper Marans is an excellent chicken breed that can increase the charm of your flock. Their unique egg color, dual-purpose nature, and friendly temperament make them stand out in the poultry world. However, like any other chicken breed, they need a proper diet, consistent attention, and a safe environment to thrive.
Hence, if you invest time and effort to understand their specific needs and preferences; these magnificent birds will give you twice as much in return.