Shipping & Delivery
Shipping birds can be made to be less stressful by following some sensible advice from someone experienced in shipping and adhering to the rules and regulations of the shippers. What follows is an outline of how to avoid undue stress, accidents, loss, and/or injury to the parrots that you want to ship. This is also a useful guide when buying a parrot that needs to be shipped. You can be sure that Heritage African Grey goes all the way in ensuring that shipping is hitch-free and smooth.
How we prepare our parrots
Heritage African Grey assures that the condition of your parrot is optimal before shipping. Babies on formula don’t need any extra supplements, but an older bird may. We fortify them all with a stress reduction preparation such as Avitec’s Avi Bios or Mardel’s Ornabac™. These are powdered mixes to be administered to their soft foods before and after shipping. The lactobacillus, probiotics, and low pH levels will help avert bacterial infections resulting from stress. The B-Complex vitamins will help with the stress level itself. We administer these freely to babies as well as adults. Heritage African Grey only sells weaned parrots, and all our babies are fully weaned prior to shipping.
Shipping Crates, Containers and Boxes
Most often, commercial hard plastic kennel cabs are the standard container for shipping. We only use airline-approved kennels that are darkened to help eliminate stress during the flight. But Heritage African Grey goes the extra mile to construct heavy-duty wooden crates with breathing holes on all four sides for better air circulation, since all containers may have other cargo stacked around and on top of them. These provide more stability, keeping the parrot from being thrown around during air turbulence. Costs for the crates are included in the initial deposit. Each kennel will have a perch, juicy fruits, vegetables, and parrot kibble.
How we prepare the Shipping.
Most airlines now require that a perch be installed (screwed in from the outside of the container) for birds. Heritage African Grey makes the perch no higher than an inch from the bottom. This way, the parrot won’t fall hard or get caught under the perch during turbulence. We also line the bottom of the carrier with newspaper or crumpled and tamped-down paper toweling so that the bird has a better foothold if it stays on the bottom. We also tape a thick piece of cardboard halfway up the front door if the weather is inclement or if we are shipping babies. For parrots that are extra-large and can chew through most materials (such as hyacinths and Black palm cockatoos), we line the entire crate with hardware cloth. We always ship bonded pairs separately or in a separate compartment within the crate to avoid stress wounds. We fill the bottom of the crate with seed (and/or pellets if that is their diet). It works as a good bedding liner and gives the parrots nourishment if they want to eat during the flight. We place cubes of juicy fruit on the floor of the container – grapes, apples, oranges, etc. This will provide the bird(s) with liquids during the flight and any layovers. Just be sure there is enough food for the bird(s) in case of a 1 or 2-day delay! Finally, we add an extra piece of hardware cloth over the entire door of the crate so that no one is tempted to open the door to take a closer look or to take the parrot. We always make sure the crates have the “LIVE BIRDS” label on them, which is generally provided by the airline.
Health Certificate
Health certificate are required for all animals being shipped. This is to ensure all pets are not sharing anything more than a ride. All airlines require this certificate. Yes, it’s mandatory. We usually get ours the day before so we know they’re good to go.
Our Shipping Policies, Routines and Norms
Heritage African Grey ships to all states and can make arrangements to almost any city in the United States and the world. Our primary consideration is the well-being of the bird(s) being shipped. We have been shipping for years, and we take every precaution to ensure that your new pet arrives safely. We prefer to ship directly to a major city, eliminating connecting flights if at all possible. This may mean driving a bit further to a large airport or picking up in the evening to ensure appropriate shipping temperatures during hot weather seasons. Weekday shipping is preferred over weekends, due to fewer travelers and many cargo terminals closing early on weekends.
We take care of all the flight/shipping arrangements Very Simple and Very Safe!
We coordinate flight times with our customer a few days in advance before the bird is shipped (weather permitting). The customer is provided with the airline, flight number(s), air waybill/tracking number, and flight arrival time prior to departure. It is recommended that the customer arrives at the airport no later than the expected flight arrival time so that your bird does not wait at the airport for any period of time. We contact our customers once again on the day of shipment before the bird leaves. A return call, text, or email to Heritage African Grey letting us know that the bird(s) arrived safely is highly appreciated. All sales are final when the birds are shipped. There are no returns unless the bird has health issues. We have a 24-hour limit for notification after delivery of the birds, of any problem at the point of delivery, as specified on the order. Immediate inspection is necessary to ensure no damage occurred during shipping and the birds are alive at delivery. We will replace the dead bird or refund the complete cost of the bird, but not the shipping cost. FULL payment must be made before any bird is shipped.