The toughest new addition to the Moody Gardens penguin exhibit has been named after the toughest athlete in the Houston area – Texans defensive star J.J. Watt.
Watt, a baby King Penguin who hatched earlier this month, suffered an injury shortly after breaking out of his shell. Under the care of Moody Gardens biologists, Watt proved he was one tough chick and made a quick recovery. He is back on exhibit, joining the nearly 100 penguins housed in the Aquarium Pyramid.
“The little chick braved through it all,” said Moody Gardens assistant curator Diane Olsen. “It was an injury we had to keep an eye on, and our staff did a good job taking care of it.”
Olsen said she’s not completely sure how Watt suffered the injury, a cut on his back, but said it was likely caused by a squabble between the parent and another penguin. Penguins are extremely protective of their young and will fight those that appear to be a threat to their chick.
Galveston veterinarian Dr. Richard Henderson closed the wound after Watt was injured. From there, Moody Gardens Vet Tech Karen Holcroft and the rest of the penguin biologists treated him until the injury was healed.
“You always have to be worried about infection and stuff,” Olsen said. “We cleaned the wound and weighed him twice a day. We watched it very carefully.”
J.J. Watt is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year and one of the most popular athletes in Houston. He was drafted by the Texans in 2011 out of Wisconsin, and quickly became known as one of the toughest players in the franchise’s history.
Olsen said that like all other chicks, the new King penguin will only be on exhibit with its parents for a limited time. Although adult penguins are expert swimmers, babies must be kept safely away from the exhibit waters until they become water savvy.
The gender of the young chick is still unknown because penguins are not sexually dimorphic, meaning it is impossible to tell male and female penguins apart based solely on looks. While away from the exhibit, blood tests will be done to determine the sex of the hatchling.
MOODY GARDENS KING PENGUIN HISTORY
King Penguins originally arrived in Galveston in 1998, when a group of staff members from the Aquarium at Moody Gardens joined biologists and other professionals from Chile, France and the United States on an expedition to South Georgia Island in the Antarctic to collect eggs. The eggs were gathered during the fall breeding season and then transported to Galveston and hatched prior to the opening of the Aquarium Pyramid in May 1999.
Moody Gardens has a successful breeding program, with 15 King Penguin chicks hatched since 2003. There has been a total six chicks hatched overall among the King, Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguins this breeding season. This is the first King to hatch this year.
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Baby Chicks
Raising in
Homewood, Alabama
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Homewood Alabama,
including Sussex Chickens, Welsummer Chickens, Turken Chickens and more.
Be sure to check out the Bargain Specials, as you can combine different
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chukar partridge for sale, bobwhite for sale, many different breeds of
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Baby Chickens How To Raise in
Homewood, Alabama
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Homewood Alabama
catalog is a yearly traditions in many houses. My kids and I eagerly await
the Murray McMurray Hatchery catalog. We love looking at all the cool and
different chicken breeds available. Catalogs are free so head on over to
their site and request one if you are interested.
Typically hatcheries online offer both standard breeds
and bantams. Bantams are fun hardy little chickens, they lay tiny eggs
that kids especially love collecting. Bantams typically weigh less than 2
pounds when full grown. Just like ordering anything online there are pros
and cons to ordering baby chicks online. Pros of buying baby chicks in
Homewood Alabama * Big Selection - If you are wanting a large
variety of different chicken breeds and egg colors, you will find the best
selection at an online hatchery. * Both Bantams and full sized chickens
available * You get to choose what sex you want. If you want a mixture of
both male and female then choosing a "straight run" will save you money
and you will get a mixture of male and female chicks. You can also choose
all males or all females too. * Weekly specials. Hatcheries have sales on
chicks, you are likely to get a good deal if you are flexible with the
breeds you are wanting. Cons of buying baby chicks in Homewood
Alabama * Order early to get the best selection. Certain breeds sell
out fast, sometimes as early as 6 months in advance of shipping! If you
are wanting a certain breed it's best to order your chicks in the fall
before their orders sell out.
Baby Chickens Mail in
Homewood, Alabama
Quantity - you must order a certain number of chicks. Typically hatcheries
will require you buy a minimum of 25 chicks at a time. The number is
necessary for the chicks survival during shipping. All 25 chicks are put
in one small box without heat. They are crowded in the box and produce
enough body heat to arrive in good shape. * The wait - If you choose to
buy chicks from a feed store you will have them the same day but if you
choose to go with a hatchery you have to wait until they are ready to ship
and then wait for the chicks to arrive. Ordering baby chicks online in
Homewood Alabama is easy and has always been a very pleasant
experience of me. It can be a little frustrating waiting for the chicks
but it's so worth the wait. When the post office calls and you hear all
those little "cheeps" or "chirps" in the background you'll know the wait
was worth it! How to Care for your new baby chickens in Homewood,
Alabama Baby chicks are very
cute and
difficult to resist,
but it's best to prepare for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare first
by compiling not just the
proper products, yet
likewise the proper
knowledge to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
straightforward, you just should offer them with the following: A
clean as well as cozy
habitat Lots of food and water Interest as well as
love Habitat Your habitat could be an easy box, fish tank,
feline provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (without loosened
strings!) to start, and after a few weeks utilize straw over paper.
Note: Avoid making use of only
newspaper or other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You likewise need
something to dish out food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
meal from the feed store, or a pickle container
lid for food and also a pet dog bird water dispenser from a pet store. Additionally, as the chicks get
older you can present a perch
into the habitat to obtain them
trained on perching. Warmth To
maintain your chicks warm you have to
supply them with a warmth source.
This could be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb additionally work very
well (my
suggestion). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which can occupy to 2 months). The newly
hatched require a temperature level
between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
and also weekly this could
be lowered by
approximately 5 levels approximately. The warmth resource need to be on just one side of the cage
to enable chicks a variety of
temperature levels. The chicks are your best
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
opposite corner of your heat
light, you should
minimize the temperature level. If
they are smothering each various other under the
warmth (not just curling up),
you have to include some warmth.
Housekeeping
Tidiness is essential and it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to change
the bed linen
often and
constantly provide clean
food and water Food and also water.
Chicks grow really quick
which requires plenty of clean
food as well as water. Give
sufficient whatsoever times and check
frequently to avoid dehydrated and
hungry chicks. Chick food is various compared
to adult chicken food, as well as it is available in both medicated and non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
first 2 months, then
change to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for one more 2 months,
and after that to a somewhat
reduced healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks want
to get a running start on taking
filth baths, while others won't use up that task up until they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
unit, present a tray of sand or
dust for them to bathe in.
Focus and love There are a
few advantages to hanging
out with your chicks. Firstly, they will certainly most
likely bond with you as well as
not flee as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and
see their actions, you can
capture disease or other troubles previously. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, hopping, or
various other unhealthy
signs. Make sure to
also check out
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could bring about matted plumes as well
as clogged up cloaca.
Lastly, it is important to watch out for social problems, such as the
smallest chick getting badgered. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are now completely feathery
and also its time for them to leave the
security of your residence
and move outside into a
coop. Take a look at our
part on chicken coops to get more information
concerning coops as well as
appropriate coop environments.
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