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.
Share this:
Baby Chicks in
Kingsford, Michigan
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Kingsford Michigan,
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. Kingsford
Michigan also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Kingsford Michigan, bantams for sale, ducks for sale, geese for sale,
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 Kingsford MI.
Baby Chicks And Ducks For Sale in
Kingsford, Michigan
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Kingsford Michigan
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
Kingsford Michigan * 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 Kingsford
Michigan * 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
Chicks Male in
Kingsford, Michigan
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
Kingsford Michigan 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 Kingsford,
Michigan Baby chicks are very
cute and also
hard to withstand,
however it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare initially
by gathering not just the
right products, yet
also the correct
expertise to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
basic, you just should supply them with the following: A
clean and warm and comfortable
environment Lots of food and also water Interest and also
love Habitat Your habitat can be a basic box, aquarium,
cat carrier, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (without any loosened
strings!) to begin, as well as after a few weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid using only
newspaper or various other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could grow
malformed. You additionally need
something to provide food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
meal from the feed shop, or a pickle container
cover for food and also a pet bird water dispenser from a
pet dog store. Also, as the chicks age you can present a perch
into the habitat to get them
educated on setting down. Heat To
keep your chicks warm you need to
offer 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 shop, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb also function effectively (my
suggestion). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which can occupy to two months). The freshly
hatched require a temperature
in between 90 and also 100 degrees,
as well as each week this can
be reduced by
about 5 levels approximately. The heat source ought
to get on simply one side of the cage
to enable chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your best
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
contrary corner of your warmth
lamp, you have to
decrease the temperature level. If
they are smothering each various other under the
heat (not just cuddling),
you should include some heat.
Housekeeping
Tidiness is vital and it maintains your chicks healthy. Be sure to transform
the bed linens
commonly as well as
always provide tidy
food and water Food and water.
Chicks grow really quick
which needs lots of tidy
food and also water. Provide
sufficient at all times as well
as inspect
typically to avoid thirsty and
hungry chicks. Chick food is different than adult chicken food, as well as it comes
in both medicated and
also non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, then
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for an additional 2 months,
and then to a slightly
lower healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks like to get a running start on taking
filth bathrooms, while others will not occupy that activity till they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
enclosure, present a tray of sand or
filth for them to wash in.
Attention and love There are a couple of advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. First off, they will more than likely bond with you and also
not escape as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and
watch their actions, you can
capture disease or various
other problems previously. Keep an
eye out for hissing, hopping, or
other harmful
signs. Be sure to
also consider
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can result in matted plumes and obstructed cloaca.
Last but not least, it is important to keep an eye out for social issues, such as the
littlest chick obtaining teased. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently totally feathered
as well as its time for them to leave the
security of your home
as well as relocate outside right into a cage. Look into our
area on chicken coops to read more
concerning cages as well as
proper cage environments.
Baby Chickens OutsideBaby Chicks Raising More Posts Baby Chickens for Sale in Eureka, Michigan Baby Chickens for Sale in Iron Mountain, Michigan Baby Chickens for Sale in Jonesville, Michigan Baby Chickens for Sale in Huntington Woods, Michigan Baby Chickens for Sale in Croswell, Michigan