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 in
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Baby Chickens For Sale in
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Quantity - you must order a certain number of chicks. Typically hatcheries
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Michigan Baby chicks are extremely
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tough to withstand,
but it's finest to prepare for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare first
by collecting not just the
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habitat Plenty of food as well
as water Focus and also
love Habitat Your habitat can be a straightforward box, aquarium,
feline carrier, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and
blankets (without loose
strings!) to start, and after a few weeks make use of straw over paper.
Note: Avoid utilizing only
paper or other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can grow
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something to dish out food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
recipe from the feed store, or a pickle jar
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older you can introduce a perch
into the habitat to get them
educated on setting down. Warmth To
keep your chicks heat you need to
offer them with a warmth source.
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 warmth
light bulb likewise function extremely well (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which could use
up to 2 months). The newly
hatched out need a temperature level
in between 90 and also 100 degrees,
and weekly this can
be decreased by
around 5 levels or
so. The heat source must get on just one side of the cage
to permit chicks a variety of
temperatures. The chicks are your best
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
opposite edge of your heat
lamp, you have to
reduce the temperature. If
they are surrounding each other under the
heat (not merely cuddling),
you need to put some heat.
Home cleaning
Sanitation is essential and it maintains your chicks healthy. Make certain to transform
the bed linen
usually as well as
constantly supply tidy
food and also water Food and water.
Chicks expand extremely quick
which needs plenty of tidy
food as well as water. Supply
enough whatsoever times and also inspect
frequently to
stop dehydrated as well as
starving chicks. Chick food is various compared
to adult chicken food, as well as it comes
in both medicated and non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
very first two months, then
change to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for one more 2 months,
and after that to a somewhat
lower healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks like to obtain a running start on taking
filth baths, while others will not occupy that task up until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
dust for them to shower in.
Interest and love There are a couple of advantages to spending time with your chicks. Firstly, they will more than likely bond with you and
not run away as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
watch their behavior, you can
capture health problem or various
other troubles previously. Watch out for hissing, hopping, or
other unhealthy
indications. Make sure to
also take a look at
their poop, as diarrhea can cause matted plumes and blocked cloaca.
Finally, it is necessary to look out
for social issues, such as the
smallest chick obtaining picked
on. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are now totally feathered
and also its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your home
as well as move outside into a
coop. Look into our
section on chicken cages for more information
regarding coops and
proper cage environments.
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