Let me describe the scenario of how the young are born. When the egg is laid, the environment is too cold and so the mother holds the egg in a pouch above her feet to keep it warm. At some point, she then transfers it to the male partner which is a beautiful process in itself.
For the next several months, the male will actually protect and carry the egg in a pouch that is designed to keep it very warm. During this time, the mother penguin will travel a distance to find food and be gone for several months. The father penguin will hold the egg through some of the harshest months in the coldest environments of the world.
