Cleopatra is apparently known for hatching a chicken that she incubated between her breasts. Luckily these days we have incubators, but the information came in handy when the broody hen left some unhatched eggs behind in the nest. As the eggs had been laid over a period of time, and broody had been sitting on them from the beginning, the chicks hatched over several days.
By the end poor little hen couldn't sit any more as new chicks needed to be out and about eating and drinking, so some eggs were left behind. I took them up to the house to dispose of as they were cold, but candled them just to see how far along they were. To my surprise one little chick had pipped internally and was starting to make its break for freedom! Not having any incubator space available, I remembered the Egyptian queen and tucked the egg down my shirt to keep warm while I set up another incubator to try and hatch it in. Little chick must have liked it's warm spot as before to long it was cheeping away happily in its shell. After about an hour or so, it was into the now warm incubator and hello world.
Interestingly enough, this little chick, while it has been living with some slightly older siblings in the brooder from the time it came out of the incubator, is actually quite bonded to me. It loves to sit on my hand and snuggle in to my neck. Fingers crossed it is a girl, as if it is I am bound to call her Cleopatra!
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