Dear PenguinPromises
The chicks have finally hatched and they are really cute. At the moment they are still very small, weighing about 100 grams each. They are not yet able to walk, so Promises must be very careful with them. The chicks are like new born babies. They have to be kept nice and warm, so the parents tuck the chicks underneath and gently lie over them.
Penguins have a special pouch of bare skin on their lower abdomen called a "brood pouch". It is only used for keeping eggs and chicks warm. Most of the time the pouch is held closed by involuntary muscles and the pouch is not visible under the feathers. When the chicks are underneath Promises the muscles are relaxed and the pouch opens, giving the chicks a warm and safe 'hollow' underneath Promises.
The chicks are born with thin thread-like feathers, so when they are tucked inside the pouch, the bare skin of the brood patch is held tightly against the chicks, and the chicks are kept at the same t...