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 Chickens Raising in
Blue Gap, Arizona
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Blue Gap Arizona,
including Sussex Chickens, Welsummer Chickens, Turken Chickens and more.
Be sure to check out the Bargain Specials, as you can combine different
egg layers in smaller amounts and buy as an assortment. Blue Gap
Arizona also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
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turkeys for sale, guinea for sale, peafowl for sale, pheasant for sale,
chukar partridge for sale, bobwhite for sale, many different breeds of
baby chicks for sale in Blue Gap AZ.
Baby Chicks As
Pets in
Blue Gap, Arizona
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Blue Gap Arizona
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
Blue Gap Arizona * 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 Blue Gap
Arizona * 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.
Raising Baby Chickens in
Blue Gap, Arizona
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
Blue Gap Arizona 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 Blue Gap,
Arizona Baby chicks are quite
charming and
challenging to resist,
however it's finest to plan for their
arrival prior to you get them. Prepare initially
by compiling not only the
right products, yet
also the appropriate
understanding to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
easy, you just need
to give them with the following: A tidy and also warm
environment Plenty of food as well
as water Interest and also
love Habitat Your environment can be a
simple box, fish tank,
feline provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (without loose
strings!) to begin, and after a
couple of weeks use straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid utilizing only
newspaper or various other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can expand
misshapen. You also need
something to serve up food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
recipe from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
cover for food and also a pet dog bird water dispenser from a family pet shop. Also, as the chicks grow older you can introduce a perch
right into the habitat to obtain them
trained on setting down. Heat To
maintain your chicks warm you should
give them with a warmth source.
This could be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb additionally function very
well (my
suggestion). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which can take up to 2 months). The freshly
hatched require a temperature level
between 90 and 100 degrees,
as well as weekly this can
be decreased by
roughly 5 degrees or
so. The heat resource must get on just one side of the cage
to permit chicks a variety of
temperature levels. The chicks are your ideal
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
other corner of your warmth
light, you need to
minimize the temperature level. If
they are smothering each other under the
heat (not simply snuggling),
you need to put some heat.
Housekeeping
Tidiness is key and also it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to change
the bed linen
often and
always provide tidy
food as well as water Food as well as water.
Chicks grow very quickly
which calls for a lot of clean
food as well as water. Give
enough at all times as well
as check
often to prevent parched and also
starving chicks. Chick food is various compared
to grown-up chicken food, as well as it is available in both medicated and non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
initial 2 months, then
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for an additional 2 months,
and after that to a slightly
reduced healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks prefer to obtain a running start on taking
dust bathrooms, while others will not take
up that activity till they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
room, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to bathe in.
Interest and love There are a
few advantages to spending time with your chicks. First off, they will more than likely bond with you and
not escape as adults. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and
enjoy their actions, you can
catch health problem or other problems earlier. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
various other harmful
signs. Make sure to
additionally look at
their poop, as diarrhea can result in matted feathers and stopped up cloaca.
Finally, it is necessary to look out
for social issues, such as the
tiniest chick obtaining picked
on. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are now fully feathered
and its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your home
as well as move outside right into a
coop. Have a look at our
part on chicken cages to read more
concerning coops as well as
proper cage habitats.
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