Fiona Barca is a recognised name in the Australian Marans community and a bit of a rare commodity. She’s one of the few people exclusively breeding not just a single breed of chicken, but a single variety: black and blue copper Marans. Fiona was lucky enough to obtain some birds from Avgen, the company that imported copper Marans and other rare breeds from the UK. In this interview Fiona shares:

• How she breeds them, as four families
• How she’s dealt with faults like bent toes and mossiness
• She also gives some sage advice on how to navigate the many and varied opinions you’ve probably received if you’ve ever posted a picture of one of your birds online for critique
• Fiona shares some home truths about egg colour too and what to expect when buying Marans eggs to hatch

Fiona was generous enough to open her coop doors to Chook Journal and take us on a tour of her breeding pens. If you’d like to see inside her enviable coop set up, check out the Spring 2025 issue of Chook Journal, our magazine, which is entirely digital and out now.