LARGE FOWL

The Original French Black Cooper Marans chickens are some of the rarest chickens to enter the U.S. Although common in France where they are considered a delicacy due to the extraordinary rich dark reddish brown color of their eggs.

These are some of the most sought after poultry birds today and also make excellent meat birds.

Fun Fact : They are the favorite egg of James Bond. Although using them for eating in the United States is almost unheard of, as they are so rare and prized. At the cost in today’s market a three-egg omlet would cost more than $30; wholesale.

The French Black Copper differs from the US one in that it has feathered shanks and feet unlike the cleaned legged fowl we have here in the states.

My Original F1 lines have come from both Wade Jeanne and Bev Davis lines, I have been breeding them together as to avoid the issues that have come up recently with keeping these lines to tight.

Presently my eggs rank a 5 on the cart sometimes a 4 my goal is of course getting darker eggs but I am also trying to breed to the standard and not selecting those hens that are inferior just because of a darker egg color.

My flock presently consists of 3 French Black Copper hens, One Blue, and a French Black Copper Rooster and can be seen in the pics below:

The Ameraucana is a breed of chicken developed in the United States although there is also talk that they originated in Southern America.

Ameraucanas are not to be confused with Easter Eggers (which are a mix of Ameraucanas often with a commercial egg laying breed such as leghorn, or Road Island red). Often sold in hatcheries the Ameraucanas listed there are indeed Easter Eggers and do not possess all of the qualities needed to make the pure breed Ameraucanas. The Ameraucana Breeders Club defines an Easter Egg chicken, or Easter Egger, as any chicken that possesses the blue egg gene, but doesn’t fully meet any breed description as defined in the APA standards. Further, even if a bird (that possesses the blue egg gene) meets an APA standard breed description, but doesn’t meet a variety description or breed true at least 50% of the time it is considered an Easter Egg chicken.

Ameraucanas come in both a large and bantam variety although I raise the Large Fowl Variety not Bantams. Eight colors are officially recognized for poultry shows by the American Poultry Association: Black, Blue, Blue Wheaten, Brown Red, Buff, Silver, Wheaten and White.

In addition a true Ameraucana should have a beard and muff and only lay a blue to blue-green colored egg not green and pink. They make good layers often laying 5 eggs a week. I specialize in Ameraucanas in Blue, Black, and Splash (BBS) .

As far as personality I find them to be very curious and independent and the roosters to be friendly and personable. They are great foragers and are good for free ranging. My lines come from a mix of the best Ameraucana Breeders in the country all belonging to the Ameraucana’s Breeders Club.

My flock can be seen here, some are still juveniles and have not yet begun laying but should be part of the breeding program by mid winter if not sooner.