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 Outside in
Bonnyman, Kentucky
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Baby Chicks Food in
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Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Bonnyman Kentucky
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Typically hatcheries online offer both standard breeds
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Baby Chicks Types in
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Quantity - you must order a certain number of chicks. Typically hatcheries
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was worth it! How to Care for your new baby chickens in Bonnyman,
Kentucky Baby chicks are quite
adorable and also
challenging to resist,
however it's finest to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare first
by gathering not just the
proper materials, however
also the correct
knowledge to take care of
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basic, you simply have to provide them with the following: A tidy as well as warm and comfortable
habitat Lots of food and water Focus and
love Habitat Your habitat could be an easy box, aquarium,
pet cat service provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (with no loose
strings!) to start, as well as after a few weeks make use of straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid using just
newspaper or various other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can grow
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something to dish out food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
meal from the feed store, or a pickle container
cover for food and a pet dog bird water dispenser from a
pet dog shop. Likewise, as the chicks grow older you could introduce a perch
into the environment to obtain them
trained on perching. Heat To
maintain your chicks heat you have to
supply them with a heat source.
This can be as straightforward as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb also work effectively (my
recommendation). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 till their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which can take up to two months). The freshly
hatched out need a temperature level
in between 90 and 100 levels,
and each week this could
be decreased by
around 5 levels approximately. The warmth resource need to get on merely one side of the cage
to allow chicks a variety of
temperature levels. The chicks are your best
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
opposite edge of your warmth
lamp, you should
minimize the temperature. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
warmth (not merely cuddling),
you should include some warmth.
House cleaning
Sanitation is key as
well as it keeps your chicks healthy. Make certain to alter
the bed linen
usually and also
always supply clean
food and also water Food and water.
Chicks grow very fast
which requires lots of clean
food as well as water. Provide
enough whatsoever times and examine
frequently to
stop dehydrated and
hungry chicks. Chick food is various compared
to grown-up chicken food, as well as it can be found in both medicated as well as non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
very first 2 months, after that
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for one more 2 months,
and then to a slightly
lower healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks prefer to obtain a running start on taking
dirt bathrooms, while others won't use up that activity till they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
enclosure, introduce a tray of sand or
filth for them to bathe in.
Attention and love There are a couple of benefits to spending time with your chicks. Firstly, they will more than likely bond with you and also
not run away as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and
enjoy their behavior, you could
catch disease or other troubles earlier. Watch out for hissing, limping, or
various other undesirable
indications. Be sure to
also look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can lead
to matted plumes and also blocked cloaca.
Finally, it is necessary to look out
for social problems, such as the
smallest chick obtaining teased. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are currently totally feathered
as well as its time for them to leave the
security of your home
and relocate outside into a cage. Look into our
section on chicken cages to learn more
about cages and
appropriate cage habitats.
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