Heather Soane, First Australian to Exhibit Black Copper Marans

Heather Soane was the first person to show black copper Marans in Australia. She'd been breeding the birds for several years by the time they were officially imported, and believes her bloodline was smuggled into the country from Belgium or Poland. In this conversation Heather discusses: Why she believes her black copper Marans were smuggled into Australia rather than being "Aussie line" recreations How she bred them and what faults she encountered including mossiness, loose feathering ("bustles") and lack of copper colouring on the females Her understanding of how the French achieve such dark eggshell colours The impact of Croad Langshan blood on some lines of Australian black coppers How she kept her line pure without introducing any outside blood for a decade How she ended up with 10 different varieties including blue coppers that emerged spontaneously from within her wheaten and black copper Marans How she created her own line of cuckoo Marans by using Barred Plymouth Rocks The resistance she encountered when first showing Marans The particular diet she feeds her Marans Who her influences and mentors have been What variety she's working on now