King Penguin chicks usually take 14-16 months to be fully grown and shed their down before they could go to the sea to find food themselves. Once a chick is hatched, the parents take turn to feed it until it's big enough to fend off predators. The chicks would stay as a group and be looked after by a few adults like a commune. When a parent returns, the chick would be very persistent and follow the parent for food.