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 101 in
Creston, Illinois
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Baby Chicks Names in
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Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Creston Illinois
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
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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
Creston Illinois * 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 Creston
Illinois * 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 Outside in
Creston, Illinois
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
Creston Illinois 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 Creston,
Illinois Baby chicks are really
adorable and also
difficult to stand up to,
however it's finest to prepare for their
arrival prior to you get them. Prepare initially
by compiling not only the
proper materials, however
likewise the appropriate
expertise to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
straightforward, you simply need
to offer them with the following: A tidy and cozy
environment A lot of food and also water Interest and
love Environment Your environment could be an easy box, fish tank,
feline carrier, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (without loosened
strings!) to begin, and also after a few weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid using just
paper or various other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You likewise need
something to serve up food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
recipe from the feed store, or a pickle container
cover for food and also a pet dog bird water dispenser from a
pet dog store. Additionally, as the chicks get
older you could present a perch
into the environment to obtain them
trained on setting down. Heat To
maintain your chicks heat you have to
offer them with a heat resource.
This could be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb also function effectively (my
referral). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which can use
up to 2 months). The newly
hatched out require a temperature level
in between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
and weekly this could
be minimized by
about 5 degrees or
so. The heat resource ought
to get on simply one side of the cage
to enable chicks a range of
temperature levels. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
other edge of your heat
lamp, you need to
reduce the temperature. If
they are surrounding each other under the
warmth (not simply curling up),
you have to include some warmth.
Home cleaning
Tidiness is key and it keeps your chicks healthy. Make certain to transform
the bed linen
usually and
always give clean
food and also water Food and water.
Chicks expand quite fast
which needs lots of clean
food as well as water. Supply
sufficient in any way times and also inspect
typically to avoid thirsty and
hungry chicks. Chick food is various compared
to adult chicken food, as well as it can be found in both medicated and non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
first two months, then
change to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for one more 2 months,
and afterwards to a somewhat
lower healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks want
to obtain a running start on taking
filth baths, while others will not occupy that task until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
room, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to bathe in.
Focus as well as love There are a couple of advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. First off, they will certainly more than likely bond with you as well as
not run away as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
see their behavior, you can
catch health problem or various
other troubles previously. Keep an
eye out for hissing, limping, or
other undesirable
signs. Make sure to
likewise look at
their poop, as diarrhea could lead
to matted plumes and also clogged up cloaca.
Last but not least, it is important to keep an eye out for social problems, such as the
smallest chick obtaining badgered. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently completely feathered
as well as its time for them to leave the
security of your house
as well as relocate outside right into a
coop. Have a look at our
area on chicken coops for more information
regarding cages and also
appropriate cage environments.
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