The incubation, keeping the egg warm, is done by both male and female in long shifts. The egg usually hatches within 33 to 37 days. The male cares for the newly hatched chick for 23 to 25 days while the female brings food daily. The parents will feel them every 1 to 2 days until they have their adult feathers and are ready to go on their own. This takes place in about 60 to 70 days.
Macaroni penguins eat mostly krill with small amounts of squid.