In my experience once they give up the hormone shift has begun.
It is not likely or even much of a maybe that she will take the chicks.
Even my uber broody bantam won't accept chicks unless she has been actively sitting for about 18 days.
If slipping eggs close to hatching under a broody best to do it after she has been setting a long while.
If giving chicks best that she has been sitting at least 2 weeks.
Its all about hormones.
Yeah, she has totally given up, it seems.
It's so crazy; she sat unremittingly for a good 6 weeks, now it's like she could give a tater! She's wandering around free ranging with the others in the backyard for over 3 hours, even wandering into the Cemani run, dust bathing, scratching....totally lost interest.
Here's what I did.
I slipped the 2 BC eggs under Luna, my Cemani, who is my super-broody (she's been for only about a week, but she is FIERCE, and she was broody for a good long time, maybe a month before).
I am leaving the 5 Serama eggs under Phoebe, who has only been for the last 2 days, but is sitting faithfully and doing all the proper broody things. She was a strong broody in the past to the point where I had to put here in jail.
If she gets off the eggs, I will put them under Luna as well, and/or if Luna doesn't do the job, then I guess I will stick em in the bator as a last resort, and brood any that hatch myself.
That's my plan!
Cindi (off to prepare the brooder, just in case)
