The first vaccination is given when chicks are one month old, the second two weeks later. Have a veterinarian on staff to monitor the birds' health and immediately quarantine and treat any birds with potential health issues. Feed all handfed birds around the clock on schedules appropriate for their breed, age and weight. Keep birds at the facility until they are consistently eating pellet food on their own, supplemented still by two hand-feedings per day, and have healthy and stable body weights. Once chicks arrive at PETsMART stores, associates are trained to continue twice-daily hand feedings until the chicks are weaned or purchased by a customer.
Stores train inexperienced customers on care, including how to hand-feed chicks.
In addition, customers receive detailed information on bird health and precautions, and must sign documents that commit them to provide proper care. PETsMART believes this helps ensure that it sells birds only to committed, responsible owners, and helps create a stronger bond between owner and pet. As an alternative to air delivery, develop a hand-delivery route for unweaned chicks that can be handfed as many times as needed during the trip by trained drivers. These programs have been in place and operating well at Kaytee facilities since 1997, as confirmed by PETsMART audits. Kaytee currently is planning to develop a third center in Las Vegas, Nevada to shorten travel time for birds being delivered to stores in the West.