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 Quail Chicks in
Leonard, Texas
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Leonard Texas,
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. Leonard
Texas also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Leonard Texas, 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 Leonard TX.
Baby Chicks Buy in
Leonard, Texas
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Leonard Texas
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
Leonard Texas * 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 Leonard
Texas * 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
Chickens How To Care in
Leonard, Texas
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
Leonard Texas 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 Leonard,
Texas Baby chicks are quite
charming and also
hard to resist,
however it's finest to prepare for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare initially
by compiling not just the
proper materials, but
also the proper
understanding to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
straightforward, you simply need
to offer them with the following: A
clean as well as warm
environment Lots of food as well
as water Focus as well as
love Habitat Your environment could be a
simple box, aquarium,
pet cat provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (without loosened
strings!) to begin, and after a few weeks utilize straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid using just
newspaper or other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could grow
malformed. You additionally need
something to dish out food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
dish from the feed shop, or a pickle container
lid for food and also a pet dog bird water dispenser from an animal shop. Likewise, as the chicks age you can present a perch
right into the habitat to get them
educated on perching. Heat To
maintain your chicks heat you have to
provide them with a heat source.
This can be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb also function effectively (my
referral). Chicks require this
warmth 24/7 till their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which could use
up to two months). The recently
hatched require a temperature level
between 90 and also 100 levels,
and also each week this could
be minimized by
roughly 5 degrees or
so. The warmth resource ought
to get on simply one side of the cage
to allow chicks an array of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
contrary edge of your warmth
light, you should
reduce the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
warmth (not merely snuggling),
you need to put some heat.
Home cleaning
Cleanliness is essential and also it keeps your chicks healthy. Make sure to transform
the bedding
typically and
consistently supply clean
food and water Food as well as water.
Chicks expand quite quick
which requires lots of tidy
food and water. Supply
enough at all times and also check
usually to avoid parched and
hungry chicks. Chick food is different than grown-up chicken food, as well as it can be found in both medicated and
also non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
first two months, after that
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
then to a slightly
reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks want
to get a head start on taking
dust baths, while others will not use up that activity till they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
enclosure, introduce a tray of sand or
dust for them to bathe in.
Attention and also love There are a
few benefits to hanging
out with your chicks. First off, they will probably bond with you and
not run away as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
watch their actions, you could
catch illness or other problems earlier. Watch out for hissing, limping, or
other undesirable
signs. Make sure to
likewise take a look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can bring about matted feathers as well
as blocked cloaca.
Lastly, it is essential to look out
for social problems, such as the
tiniest chick obtaining picked
on. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are currently fully feathered
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety of your home
and also relocate outside right into a
coop. Take a look at our
part on chicken cages to learn more
regarding cages and
proper cage environments.
Baby Chicks Male Or FemaleBaby Chickens And Heat Lamps More Posts Baby Chickens for Sale in Holliday, Texas Baby Chickens for Sale in Donie, Texas Baby Chickens for Sale in Dalhart, Texas Baby Chickens for Sale in Bandera, Texas Baby Chickens for Sale in Granger, Texas