GCR Marans

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GCR Marans Colorado based breeder of private line Black Copper Marans. NPIP Certified/Avian Flu Tested.

We are private, family owned breeder of Black Copper Marans (BCM) located on the front range of Colorado. Our History - In 2019 we discovered this amazing breed and were captivated by the stunning dark eggs they produce. We purchased our very first Black Copper Marans chicks from an unnamed hatchery. When they began laying we were rather disappointed in the quality of egg color with the vast majority of eggs at or below a #6 on the Marans egg color chart. After much research and reading we learned that the dark egg trait was something that required significant upkeep and generations of selective breeding is necessary in order to keep the egg color quality high. From that point on, we made it our mission to build our own flock to improve blood lines so that our birds would lay the iconic dark chocolate eggs. We began sourcing hatching eggs from the private breeding community for better blood lines and have collected and combined multiple lines from across the United States. Breeding Strategy - Our breeding method is specifically based off of selective breeding. We do not believe in inbreeding and/or line breeding to achieve the desired traits, and feel that it's not healthy for the birds to impose any form of inbreeding. We apply two main techniques: #1 the "Law of Large Numbers" - collecting and combine a large number of birds from various flocks, and #2 stringently selecting breeders based on egg color first and SOP second. With this method, we are able to target the specific genes and traits that are desirable while avoiding inbreeding, instead of forcing specific genes and traits by inbreeding.

Almost FREE!Black Copper Marans breeder cockerels ~4 months old, coop ready. These were hatched from our darkest eggs as...
09/10/2026

Almost FREE!

Black Copper Marans breeder cockerels ~4 months old, coop ready. These were hatched from our darkest eggs as potential breeders, but they do not carry the specific trait that we’re looking for this year (wing-s*xing trait). Will trade for a 6-pack of 🍺 🤪

08/07/2026

Sold out

Update - we’re not taking any more deposits to guarantee availability, but feel free to message in case we have extras.

Good news!….we’re actually going to have a little bit of availability this fall for pullets in a few weeks. So for all of you kind folks who have been asking, this is your notification!

I still don’t know how many will be available (not a lot), but they will be about 6-8 weeks old, off heat and coop ready. 100% guarantee on s*xing. Pullets are 40/ea (min purchase 2). Cockerels are free with pullet purchase, otherwise 20/ea (min 2).

These are part of a group that I hatched for myself. They hatched from the darkest of the darkest of our eggs. I’m not keeping them because I’m working on a certain genetic trait to s*x them with more accuracy as day old chicks, and these particular birds are not strong in the trait that I’m working on.

They’ll be available in 2 weeks (starting August 20th). I can take a small amount of deposits - but limited because I’m still not sure exactly how many I’ll have available.

03/31/2026

Well folks, it’s probably time to share the bad news. Unfortunately, due to being overly busy with work, we’re not going to be offering chicks this spring. It’s unfortunate because we’re really getting some gorgeous eggs this year. I hope that we will have more time this fall for fall chicks.

The good news is that our flock isn’t going anywhere. We’re still keeping up our breeding program and our mission to continuously better or bloodlines.

Keep following our page and when we do have availability again, you’ll be the first to see it when we get a post up. Cheers!

This 2026 flock is off to a great start!
03/08/2026

This 2026 flock is off to a great start!

Update: They've all been picked up. FREE - to any home!We have 7 Black Copper Marans roosters available. They are all cu...
03/08/2026

Update: They've all been picked up.

FREE - to any home!

We have 7 Black Copper Marans roosters available. They are all culls and would be terrible breeders for Standard of Perfection purposes. However, they would be excellent breeders for egg color or for crossing to make olive eggers. They are young and all hatched between May-July 2025.

MUST TAKE ALL 7!!!

UPDATE: Only roosters/cockerels left, the pullets are sold out.Great news! Black Copper Marans pullets are finally avail...
01/30/2026

UPDATE: Only roosters/cockerels left, the pullets are sold out.

Great news! Black Copper Marans pullets are finally available!

To all of you who have been asking, sorry for the wait. Life and work has been extremely busy lately, but we now have some time.

These girls hatched between May-July 2025 and are just starting to lay - and the eggs are gorgeous. They are bred specifically for egg color. Though they are beautiful birds, they will not meet SOP standards and are not recommend for showing - mainly for feather coloring.

8️⃣0️⃣/each. Minimum 2 pullets. Cash only. First come, first serve. No deposits necessary. Pick up 12 miles south of Franktown. Cockerels available for 3️⃣0️⃣/each or free with purchase of 4 or more pullets. Please message for more details.

Just another example of how important selective breeding and genetics are for Black Copper Marans, and the results of ma...
01/21/2026

Just another example of how important selective breeding and genetics are for Black Copper Marans, and the results of mass production....

I came across this post from Cackle Hatchery with a photo of their Black Copper Marans eggs that I thought I'd share. Notice how most of the eggs wouldn't even make the color card - and by Bev Davis's standards, they shouldn't even be considered Marans if the egg color isn't a #5 or greater. Of the nearly 300 eggs that I see in their photo - I can maybe count 10-15 eggs that would qualify as #5, and ZERO eggs of a respectable #7 or higher.

12/04/2025

Just to clarify, because I’ve already gotten a message. When I say “cull”, I don’t mean kill.  I simply mean removed from the breeding flock.

UPDATE - SOLD OUT2025 Black Copper Marans Breeding Flock Now Available!!!!The wait is over — our entire 2025 Black Coppe...
10/25/2025

UPDATE - SOLD OUT

2025 Black Copper Marans Breeding Flock Now Available!!!!

The wait is over — our entire 2025 Black Copper Marans breeding flock is officially available! These are the very hens that produced the beautiful dark eggs we’ve been sharing photos of since January, and they’re ready for new homes.

The hens are just coming out of their molt. Most have finished growing in their new feathers, with a few still completing the process. All birds were hatched between May and July of 2024, making them approximately 18 months old and entering their most productive laying period.

Pricing (minimum purchase: 2 hens)
• Breeder Hens (2–9): 8️⃣0️⃣ ea
• Breeder Hens (10+): 7️⃣0️⃣ ea
• Breeder Roosters: 3️⃣0️⃣ ea

Details:
• Buyers can hand-pick their birds in person.
• We do not know which hen laid which eggs, so selection is luck of the draw.
• This will be the only time we have full-grown hens available for at least a year.
• These birds typically sell very quickly, so don’t miss your opportunity.
• No holds. First come, first served.
• Pickup is located 10 minutes south of Franktown, Colorado. in

Good day all! Just a quick availability update. Unfortunately we're not going to be offering fall chicks this year. Life...
08/25/2025

Good day all! Just a quick availability update. Unfortunately we're not going to be offering fall chicks this year. Life is busy and time just doesn't allow.

However, later this winter we will have 1-1/2 year old hens available. These are our 2025 breeder flock that have laid all the deep dark eggs posted since January (picture included in this post). We are letting these girls go to make room for the 2026 breeder flock.

For those of you who will be interested in these hens, please keep an eye on our page for the availability post. We're not going to be taking reservations or deposits for these hens, it will be first come/first serve when they're available. These hens go very quickly, so be on your toes!

Have a great day!

Address

Franktown, CO
80116

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