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
For Sale Near Me in
Woodward, Oklahoma
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Woodward Oklahoma,
including Sussex Chickens, Welsummer Chickens, Turken Chickens and more.
Be sure to check out the Bargain Specials, as you can combine different
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Baby Chicks Near Me in
Woodward, Oklahoma
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Woodward Oklahoma
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
Woodward Oklahoma * 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 Woodward
Oklahoma * 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 Habitat in
Woodward, Oklahoma
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
Woodward Oklahoma 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 Woodward,
Oklahoma Baby chicks are quite
adorable and
difficult to resist,
yet it's best to prepare for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare initially
by collecting not just the
correct materials, yet
additionally the appropriate
understanding to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
easy, you merely need
to provide them with the following: A
clean and warm
habitat Lots of food and also water Attention and also
love Environment Your environment can be a basic box, fish tank,
feline carrier, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (without loose
strings!) to start, as well as after a few weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid making use of just
newspaper or other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could grow
misshapen. You also require
something to dish out food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
meal from the feed store, or a pickle jar
lid for food and also an animal bird water dispenser from a family pet store. Additionally, as the chicks get
older you can introduce a perch
right into the environment to obtain them
educated on setting down. Warmth To
maintain your chicks warm you need to
offer them with a warmth resource.
This could be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb additionally function effectively (my
recommendation). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which could occupy to two months). The freshly
hatched out need a temperature level
between 90 and also 100 levels,
and also each week this could
be reduced by
roughly 5 levels approximately. The heat resource should be on merely one side of the cage
to permit chicks a variety of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
other edge of your heat
light, you should
reduce the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each other under the
warmth (not just cuddling),
you have to add some heat.
Home cleaning
Cleanliness is vital and also it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to change
the bed linen
usually and also
consistently supply clean
food and also water Food as well as water.
Chicks grow very fast
which needs a lot of tidy
food as well as water. Offer
enough in any way times and also examine
frequently to
stop parched and also
starving chicks. Chick food is different than grown-up chicken food, as well as it can be found in both medicated as well as non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
very first two months, after that
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
and afterwards to a somewhat
reduced protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks like to get a head start on taking
dirt bathrooms, while others will not use up that task till they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
enclosure, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to bathe in.
Focus and also love There are a
few advantages to spending time with your chicks. First of all, they will probably bond with you and
not escape as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
watch their behavior, you can
capture ailment or various
other problems earlier. Watch out for hissing, hopping, or
various other unhealthy
indications. Be sure to
likewise take a look at
their poop, as diarrhea can bring about matted plumes as well
as obstructed cloaca.
Lastly, it is essential to watch out for social problems, such as the
tiniest chick obtaining picked
on. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are now fully feathered
and also its time for them to leave the
security of your home
and also move outside right into a
coop. Take a look at our
area on chicken cages to get more information
about coops and
proper cage environments.
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