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USDA AWA Licensed · CITES Documented · Vet-Certified
Our African Grey Parrot Health Guarantee
Here at C.A.Gs in Midland, Texas, Mark & Teri Benjamin back every captive-bred Congo and Timneh African Grey with a written health guarantee — you are bringing home a 40 to 60 year companion, not a product.
Every bird is examined by a board-certified avian vet, PCR DNA-sexed, and placed with full CITES Appendix I documentation. This page lays out exactly what the guarantee covers, the window, and what you do.
72h
Congenital Coverage
5–7 days
Vet-Check Window
DNA
Sexed Every Bird
USDA AWA
Licensed Breeder
The short version
Do C.A.Gs African Greys Come With a Health Guarantee?
Yes
Written Guarantee
Every Grey ships with a written health guarantee — not a verbal promise — covering pre-existing conditions.
72 hr
Coverage Window
Congenital and infectious conditions, confirmed by a certified avian vet within 72 hours of pickup or delivery.
Vet
Examined First
A board-certified avian vet examines every bird before it leaves our Midland, Texas aviary.
DNA
PCR-Sexed
Each Grey is PCR DNA-sexed with a laboratory certificate — sex confirmed, never guessed.
100%
CITES Documented
Appendix I captive-bred certificate, hatch certificate and closed band travel with every bird.
24 hr
Shipping Report
Any shipping-related health concern is reported within 24 hours of your bird's arrival at the airport.
USDA
AWA Licensed
We hold a USDA Animal Welfare Act license you can verify before you pay anything.
Life
Owner Support
Our support doesn't end at the door — we stay reachable for the bird's whole 40–60 year life.
Trust, in receipts
What Backs Our African Grey Health Guarantee?
A guarantee is only as good as the paperwork behind it. Here is what we hand every buyer — and what you can verify before you ever send a deposit.
CITES Appendix I Documented
Captive-bred certificate on every Grey · legal ownership proven · never wild-caught.
DNA-Sexed + Vet-Certified
PCR DNA sex result · avian-veterinarian health exam before every bird leaves.
Written 72-Hour Health Guarantee
Pre-existing congenital + infectious conditions · hatch certificate + closed band · lifetime owner support.
Want a Bird Backed by This Guarantee? Get First Word
Join the list for our health-and-documentation notes and the first heads-up when a vet-checked, DNA-sexed Congo or Timneh chick is ready to reserve.
The Guarantee · What's Covered
What Does Our African Grey Health Guarantee Actually Cover?
Our written health guarantee covers pre-existing congenital conditions and infectious disease for 72 hours after pickup or delivery, plus shipping-related health issues reported within 24 hours of arrival.
The promise is deliberately specific so you and your vet both know where you stand.
If a certified avian veterinarian diagnoses a covered condition inside the window, we resolve it with you directly — including full replacement or refund at our discretion.
✔ Congenital Conditions
Any condition that existed before purchase and is diagnosed by a certified avian vet within 72 hours of pickup or delivery is covered — the hidden, present-from-hatch issues a single exam can miss.
✔ Infectious Disease at Sale
Active infections present but not detectable at our pre-sale exam are covered when confirmed by an independent avian vet — protecting you against what no single exam could reasonably catch.
✔ Shipping-Related Issues
Health problems directly attributable to shipping are covered when reported within 24 hours of your bird's arrival at the destination airport — transit is the most stressful moment of the journey.
What Our Guarantee Does Not Cover
In plain terms: accidents, injuries after delivery, conditions from improper care or diet, behavioral issues, and changes in your circumstances are not covered.
Because African Greys need specific husbandry, we send every family our complete African Grey care guide to prevent the avoidable issues a guarantee was never meant to absorb.
Pre-Sale · Health Protocol
How Do We Prepare Every African Grey Before It's Guaranteed?
A guarantee starts long before a bird is listed: every C.A.Gs Grey is examined by a board-certified avian vet, PCR DNA-sexed, fully weaned, and documented before transfer.
The strongest health guarantee is the one you rarely need to use — here is exactly what happens to a bird before it is ever offered to you.
The Avian-Vet Exam — Before Pickup, No Exceptions
- ✔Weight and body-condition assessment
- ✔Respiratory system evaluation
- ✔Feather and skin condition check
- ✔Crop, musculoskeletal and digestive-health assessment
- ✔Parasite screening and behavioral-health observation
- ✔USDA health-certificate issuance for interstate transport
DNA Sexing, Screening & Weaning
Every Grey is PCR DNA-sexed by a certified avian lab, so the sex on your certificate is laboratory-confirmed — the only honest way to do it in a monomorphic species.
As part of routine veterinary care our birds are screened for PBFD (Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease) and avian Polyomavirus — the two viral conditions that matter most in psittacines — and we keep that work on file.
No chick leaves us until it is fully weaned and eating a complete diet on its own — an unweaned baby is a serious health risk in inexperienced hands, and we will not transfer one.
Our care routine lines up with the independent LafeberVet African Grey information sheet we hand new owners.
Your Part · The Vet Visit
What Do You Need to Do Inside the Guarantee Window?
Book an independent avian-vet exam right away — within 5 to 7 days of bringing your bird home, and a same-day or next-day visit is what activates the guarantee.
That single appointment establishes a baseline health record, confirms our pre-purchase clearance, and starts your Grey's lifelong health file — which matters for a bird that may live 40 to 60 years with you.
Your Three Steps
- 1Schedule the exam fast. Find a certified avian vet before your bird arrives and book the soonest slot — same or next day for shipped birds, within 5–7 days at the latest.
- 2Bring our records. We provide the vet records from our aviary so your appointment is faster and your vet has our exam, DNA result and screening history in hand.
- 3Tell us immediately if anything is wrong. If your vet diagnoses a covered condition, contact us inside the window — same day for shipping concerns — and we resolve it together.
If you are still choosing a breeder, our guide on how to avoid African Grey parrot scams explains why a real, written guarantee plus a verifiable vet exam is one of the clearest signals of a legitimate aviary.
Documentation · CITES & USDA
Which Documentation Comes With Your African Grey?
Every bird ships with a complete documentation packet — a CITES Appendix I captive-bred certificate, a PCR DNA sexing certificate, a board-certified avian-vet health certificate, a hatch certificate with the closed leg-band number, and our USDA inspection records.
African Greys (Psittacus erithacus) are listed on CITES Appendix I, so even captive-bred birds require specific paperwork to be legally owned in the United States. We hand you that paperwork — never the other way around.
- DOC 1CITES Appendix I captive-bred certificate — confirms your bird was bred in captivity in the United States, not imported from the wild. Our CITES documentation guide walks through the full picture.
- DOC 2PCR DNA sexing certificate — laboratory-confirmed sex from a certified avian DNA lab, not a guess from physical appearance.
- DOC 3Board-certified avian-vet health certificate — issued by our board-certified avian vet, plus a USDA health certificate within 10 days of the shipping date for interstate transport.
- DOC 4Hatch certificate + closed band — your bird's hatch record and traceable closed leg-band number, plus complete avian-vet records from our aviary.
Because we operate under a USDA Animal Welfare Act license you can look up yourself, our records are kept to federal standards and our facility is subject to inspection — so our being a captive-bred African Grey breeder is something you can verify, not take on faith.
Keep these documents safe; you'll want them if you ever move or travel. Our trusted breeders page tells you more about who we are.
What Should You Do With the Packet When It Arrives?
Check it against the bird before anything else: the closed-band number on the leg must match the hatch certificate, the CITES certificate, and the DNA sexing result word for word.
That five-minute cross-check is the whole point of the packet.
Which Copies Should You Make?
Photograph every page the day your Grey arrives and store the originals somewhere fireproof. Your avian vet will want the health certificate at the first wellness exam, and the CITES paperwork follows the bird for life.
When Will the Band Be Read Again?
Any time the bird changes hands, travels, or sees a new vet.
Why We Band a Grey So Early
A documented Grey is re-verified by that band for the next 40–60 years — which is exactly why we band in the first weeks of life.
What Does the Health Guarantee Actually Cover?
It backs the bird's condition at the time it leaves us — a Grey examined by a board-certified avian vet and screened for the diseases listed above, with a written certificate dated within days of travel. It is a statement of verified health, not a promise that no bird ever falls ill.
What It Is Not
No honest breeder can guarantee a 40-to-60-year lifespan or insure against later husbandry mistakes — what we stand behind is the documented starting point you receive.
What Should You Do in the First 48 Hours?
Book a confirming avian-vet exam right away — most guarantees, ours included, ask you to have the bird checked by your own vet within a short window so any concern is documented immediately rather than weeks later.
Get It in the Record Early
An exam in the first couple of days gives you a clean baseline and keeps the guarantee straightforward to honor if anything ever needs addressing.
Which Diseases Do You Screen Against?
Our Greys are PCR-screened for PBFD and Polyomavirus and examined for the common avian concerns — the screening that lets us hand over a genuinely documented bird rather than a hopeful one.
Screened, Not Assumed
"Healthy-looking" is not a test result — the point of PCR screening is to replace assumption with a documented negative before a bird ever ships.
Does the Guarantee Transfer if the Bird Is Resold?
The documentation does — band, hatch certificate, CITES paperwork, and DNA result all follow the bird permanently, which is what lets any future owner or vet re-verify exactly what was screened and when.
The Paperwork Outlives the Sale
Because the packet travels with the Grey for life, its documented health history never resets to zero just because the bird changed homes.
Shipping · Arrival Health
How Do We Protect an African Grey's Health in Transit?
Birds are vet-checked within 48 hours before any shipping date, travel in IATA-compliant live-animal containers, and fly direct routes kept under 8 hours when possible.
If your bird shows any distress on arrival, contact us the same day and within 24 hours to stay inside the guarantee — we keep standing protocols with our avian vet for remote consultation, so help is never more than a call away.
Two Delivery Options
Airport Pickup · $185
Receive your Grey at your nearest major airport via IATA-compliant live-animal cargo on Delta, United or American.
Home Delivery · $350
Door-to-door delivery to your provided home address for buyers who'd rather not make an airport run.
Live-animal air transport follows the IATA Live Animals Regulations the airlines use, and we book travel to minimize time aloft.
The step-by-step is in our guide to buying an African Grey near you, and our African Grey reviews describe what arrival day was like for other families.
This Week's Aviary
Which Vet-Certified C.A.Gs African Greys Are Available Right Now?
Every Congo and Timneh African Grey we hand-raise here at C.A.Gs is vet-examined, PCR DNA-sexed, fully weaned, and CITES Appendix I-documented — and backed by the written 72-hour health guarantee this page describes, with lifetime support from Mark & Teri.
Baby Boy Midland, TX
Roys
Male · 4 mo · Congo African Grey
"Vet-cleared and ready before he ever leaves."
Hand-raised male, 4 months old — avian-vet examined, PCR DNA-sexed, and weaned before transfer.
CITES Cert PCR DNA-Sexed Vet Certified PBFD & APV Screened Fully Weaned
Ships nationwide · $185 airport · $350 home
$2,300 + $200 deposit
Inquire →
New Arrival Midland, TX
Amie
Female · 3 mo · Congo African Grey
"Full documentation packet travels with her."
Premium hand-raised female, 3 months old. CITES Appendix I captive-bred certificate, DNA sex result, and avian-vet health certificate included.
CITES Cert PCR DNA-Sexed Vet Certified PBFD & APV Screened Fully Weaned
Ships nationwide · $185 airport · $350 home
$2,500 + $200 deposit
Inquire →
Best Value Midland, TX
Bery
Female · 1 yr · Congo African Grey
"Gentle, fully established, vet-certified."
Soft temperament, easy to handle. 1-year-old female, hatch certificate and closed band on file.
CITES Cert PCR DNA-Sexed Vet Certified PBFD & APV Screened Fully Weaned
Ships nationwide · $185 airport · $350 home
$1,700 + $200 deposit
Inquire →
Timneh Midland, TX
Elad
Male · 5 mo · Timneh African Grey
"Same guarantee, same paperwork, smaller bird."
Hand-raised male Timneh African Grey, 5 months old. Avian-vet examined, DNA-sexed, fully weaned and ready.
CITES Cert PCR DNA-Sexed Vet Certified PBFD & APV Screened Fully Weaned
Ships nationwide · $185 airport · $350 home
$1,600 + $200 deposit
Inquire →
Timneh Midland, TX
Evie
Female · 6 mo · Timneh African Grey
"Calm, weaned, and vet-cleared to come home."
Hand-raised female Timneh African Grey, 6 months old. Backed by our written 72-hour health guarantee and full CITES documentation.
CITES Cert PCR DNA-Sexed Vet Certified PBFD & APV Screened Fully Weaned
Ships nationwide · $185 airport · $350 home
$1,500 + $200 deposit
Inquire →
Must-Go Pair Midland, TX
Jins + Jeni
Pair · 4–6 mo · Congo African Grey
"Two birds, two complete documentation packets."
Unrelated pair, must be adopted together. Jins (male, 6mo) + Jeni (female, 4mo). Both vet-examined, DNA-sexed and weaned.
CITES Cert PCR DNA-Sexed Vet Certified PBFD & APV Screened Fully Weaned
Ships nationwide · $185 airport · $350 home
$3,500 pair + $200 deposit
Inquire →
✓ CITES Captive-Bred Cert✓ PCR DNA Sex Certificate✓ Avian Vet Health Cert✓ Hatch Certificate✓ Fully Weaned
Comparing the two species before you commit? Our Congo African Greys and Timneh African Greys carry the identical health guarantee and documentation — the only difference is the bird, and our African Grey pricing guide breaks down what each one costs.
Guarantee Questions
What Do Buyers Ask Most About Our Health Guarantee?
Yes. Every African Grey we place comes with a written health guarantee covering congenital conditions and infectious disease for 72 hours after pickup or delivery. Each bird is examined by a board-certified avian vet before it leaves our Midland, Texas aviary. If a certified avian veterinarian diagnoses a pre-existing condition within that window, we resolve it with you directly — including full replacement or refund at our discretion.
Two things: pre-existing congenital conditions that existed before purchase, and infectious disease present but not detectable at our pre-sale exam — both confirmed by an independent avian vet within 72 hours of pickup or delivery — plus shipping-related health issues reported within 24 hours of arrival. It does not cover accidents, injuries after delivery, conditions from improper care or diet, behavioral issues, or changes in your circumstances.
The window is 72 hours from the moment you take possession of your Grey, which is why we ask you to book an independent avian-vet exam right away. For shipped birds, any shipping-related concern must be reported within 24 hours of arrival at the destination airport. These windows are short on purpose — a fast, documented vet check protects both you and the bird.
Yes — we recommend a new-owner avian-vet visit within 5–7 days of bringing your bird home, and a same-day or next-day exam is what activates the guarantee. It establishes a baseline health record, confirms our pre-purchase clearance, and starts your bird's lifelong health file — important for a species that lives 40–60 years. We send our aviary's vet records to make that appointment faster.
Every bird from C.A.Gs includes a complete packet: a CITES Appendix I captive-bred certificate confirming legal US captive breeding, a PCR DNA sexing certificate, a board-certified avian-vet health certificate, a hatch certificate with the closed leg-band number, and USDA inspection records from our AWA-licensed aviary. These documents prove your bird is legal to own and fully documented — critical if you ever travel or move states.
Birds are vet-checked within 48 hours before any shipping date and travel in IATA-compliant live-animal containers, with flights kept under 8 hours when possible. If your bird shows distress on arrival, contact us the same day, within 24 hours of arrival, to fall inside the guarantee. We keep standing protocols with our avian vet for remote consultation with buyers.
Yes. Here at C.A.Gs, Mark & Teri Benjamin operate under a USDA Animal Welfare Act (AWA) license for our Midland, Texas aviary. That means our facility is subject to USDA inspection, our animal-care practices meet federal standards, and our records are kept to government requirements. You can request our USDA license number and verify it yourself before you pay anything.
We do not accept returns for buyer's remorse — African Greys are living beings, not products, and transfers are stressful for the bird. Our written health guarantee covers pre-existing conditions as described above. If a genuine life change ever makes care impossible, we help you find a responsible rehome rather than surrender to a rescue. We stay in touch with our birds' families for life.
Still have a question we didn't cover? Our full African Grey FAQ goes deeper, and you can always ask us directly in the form below — Mark or Teri will reply within 24 hours.
Part of our Resources & Trust hub →
Ready When You Are
Now You Know the Guarantee — Ready to Bring Home a Documented African Grey?
Every Grey from C.A.Gs is hand-raised, vet-examined, PCR DNA-sexed, and placed with full CITES Appendix I documentation and our written 72-hour health guarantee — never wild-caught.
Tell us about your home and which Grey caught your eye below, and Mark or Teri will reply within 24 hours.
Adopt an African Grey — Inquiry Form
We review every application. Expect a response within 24 hours.