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 Chickens And Heat Lamps in
Lily Dale, New York
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Lily Dale New York,
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. Lily Dale
New York also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Lily Dale New York, 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 Lily Dale NY.
Baby Chicks As
Pets in
Lily Dale, New York
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Lily Dale New York
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
Lily Dale New York * 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 Lily Dale
New York * 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 On Sale in
Lily Dale, New York
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
Lily Dale New York 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 Lily Dale,
New York Baby chicks are extremely
adorable as well as
hard to resist,
however it's finest to plan for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare first
by compiling not just the
appropriate products, yet
likewise the appropriate
understanding to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
straightforward, you merely have to give them with the following: A
clean as well as cozy
environment Plenty of food as well
as water Interest as well as
love Environment Your environment can be a
simple box, fish tank,
pet cat carrier, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and
coverings (without loose
strings!) to begin, and also after a
couple of weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid using just
newspaper or various other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can expand
misshapen. You likewise need
something to provide food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
meal from the feed shop, or a pickle container
cover for food and a pet dog bird water dispenser from a
pet dog store. Likewise, as the chicks get
older you can present a perch
right into the habitat to obtain them
trained on setting down. Heat To
keep your chicks heat you need to
give them with a warmth resource.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb additionally function very
well (my
recommendation). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which can take up to two months). The freshly
hatched out need a temperature
in between 90 and also 100 degrees,
as well as weekly this could
be lowered by
around 5 levels or
so. The heat source need to get on just one side of the cage
to permit chicks a range of
temperature levels. The chicks are your best
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
contrary corner of your heat
lamp, you should
lower the temperature level. If
they are smothering each other under the
warmth (not just snuggling),
you need to put some warmth.
Housekeeping
Tidiness is essential as
well as it maintains your chicks healthy. Be sure to transform
the bed linen
commonly as well as
always provide clean
food as well as water Food and water.
Chicks expand extremely quickly
which calls for a lot of tidy
food and water. Provide
enough whatsoever times and inspect
commonly to
stop thirsty and
hungry chicks. Chick food is different compared
to grown-up chicken food, and it is available in both medicated as well as non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
very first 2 months, after that
change to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for one more 2 months,
and after that to a slightly
reduced healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks prefer to obtain a head start on taking
dirt baths, while others won't occupy that task till they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
dust for them to bathe in.
Focus as well as love There are a
few benefits to hanging
out with your chicks. Firstly, they will most
likely bond with you and
not run away as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and also
enjoy their habits, you could
capture illness or other troubles previously. Watch out for wheezing, hopping, or
other harmful
indications. Be sure to
likewise consider
their poop, as diarrhea can result in matted plumes and clogged up cloaca.
Finally, it is important to watch out for social problems, such as the
smallest chick obtaining badgered. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are now completely feathery
and its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your residence
and also move outside into a
coop. Take a look at our
section on chicken cages to get more information
regarding coops as well as
proper coop environments.
Baby Chicks By MailBaby Chickens Under Lights More Posts Baby Chickens for Sale in Cambria Heights, New York Baby Chickens for Sale in Franklinville, New York Baby Chickens for Sale in Eaton, New York Baby Chickens for Sale in Altamont, New York Baby Chickens for Sale in Carlisle, New York