Day 1 (Nov 13, 2004)

Here we are! Or, at least, two of us. Kevin and Nerissa are holding us, cuddling us and are unwilling to let go.

Now we can't count that well, but we're guessing we're only one day old here. We've been taken away from our mother, and are being exposed on some exhibition, where children can pick us up and hold us.

We're scared, and cold. Where's mummy?

Now apparently, Kevin and Nerissa have found out we are nominated for the gas chambers. Or we'll be fed to some birds of prey in the local zoo. Kevin cried so hard, we were almost feeling sorry for him. Nerissa started crying as well and that's when they decided to adopt us.

Now sadly they couldn't take us all. Sniff. But, four of us were rescued from a certain horrible death, and we were loaded into a box and carried around the place until finally, late at night, we got ourselves a new home.

We are confused, scared, but alive.

Day 2 (Nov 14, 2004)

We have survived the first night! It's a very important step, 'cause most chicks don't survive their first night without their mother. Ofcourse, we have a new mum and dad now. Kevin and Nerissa carry us around, one at a time, and make sure we are all right.

Okay, what are we? We're sort of spring chickens, only we weren't born during spring time, but in the fall. That would make us breeding chicks, right?

We're obviously also "over" breeded, as our own breeders were disposing us. Which is kinda sad, because we really are very cute! We have no idea what we will look like when we're full grown, but that's for our brand new parents to find out.

Our home is a cardboard box. There's some kind of material on the floor that feels nice and soft to our little paws and there's a private sun shining straight above our new home, keeping us nice and warm.

Water is all we drink, and for food we're happy with the special mix called chick flour no. 1.

Now no. 1 suggests there's also a number 2, right? Let's see if we grow old enough to get to that kind of flour.

Day 3 (Nov 15, 2004)

Here we are! Aren't we the cutest?

What you see here is our cardboard box, with the food and the water container. Plus us, of course.

We're still alive, we make this peeping sound a lot and we want to stay as warm as we can. The lamp you see hanging above our home is just doing that.

Do you know how we sleep? We're just babies, so what do we know? We fall asleep, literally. First, our little eyes fall shut, then our paws are unable to carry us any longer and we just fall down.

Well, at least that little act makes our foster parents laugh.

We also love to be carried by Kevin or Nerissa. Their hands are even warmer than the light and we feel right at home here.

We're some lucky chicks.

Day 5 (Nov 17, 2004)

And we're growing...

We have names now, too. Joris, Joren, Piepje, and Piepie.

Kevin has chosen the first two names, and Nerissa the last two. We're real babies, we eat, we sleep, we produce some output and we drink. Then we'll start it all over again.

Sometimes when we're awake, we're coming out of our box, and cuddle with our foster parents. They're hands are so nice and warm, most of the time we just fall asleep under their care as well.

Is this cute or what?

Day 6 (Nov 18, 2004)

We have a new home!! We are growing so fast, we didn't fit in our first cardboard box anymore! And we are getting more active during the time we are awake, and we are trying our little wings, so we might have been able to jump over the edge...

So our new parents went to town, and found some new boxes in the pet-store. One wasn't big enough, so Kevin suggested sticking two boxes together, making an opening in between.

Their mom set to work and now we have a brand new apartment. One part is the sleeping area, where the lamp keeps us nice and warm, and one compartment is where the water and food is. We are enjoying the space, and like to waddle around.

Day 7 (Nov 19, 2004)

This is just like living on a farm. These people have a blue parakeet, two rats and now us, 4 chicks. Isn't this fun?

We think the parakeet is the oldest pet in the house, he sure acts like it, grin. First, he seems not afraid of rats, and is sitting on their cage, talking funny to them. Then, the minute we came to this house, he's been curious toward us as well. Sometimes, he sits just on the edge of our box, looking down at us and is telling us stories we don't understand. One day he will just jump on one of our backs, I swear!

Look at him here. I am sleeping, very comfortably, but the bird just has to come close and see what I am doing. Is he jealous? He sure is funny, though. Wonder what he wil do when I've grown four times his size...