Guides
Frozen Feeder Delivery in South African Heat
South African summers (and warm courier depots) are the reason frozen-feeder shipping looks different from ordinary online orders. The goal is not a magic promise that every parcel is rock-solid ice on the doorstep — it is getting feeders to you cold and in good order, ready to go straight into the freezer.
Here is how The Feeder Co packs and dispatches for that reality, what insulated packaging does and does not guarantee, and what to do if something looks off on arrival.
Why we only dispatch Monday to Wednesday
Weekend depot holds are the biggest thaw risk on long domestic routes. By shipping Monday to Wednesday, parcels are more likely to move while the network is active instead of sitting warm over Saturday and Sunday.
Order later in the week? We hold it for the following Monday’s dispatch rather than risk a Friday send that parks in a depot.
What insulated packaging actually does
Every courier order goes out in an insulated poly box with ice packs. That slows heat gain and keeps contents cold through normal transit. Collection in Randburg skips the packaging fee — choose Collection at checkout if you can pick up.
What it does not do: freeze a parcel that has already warmed, or override every heatwave and delay on the courier side. In warm weather a little surface softening can happen. That is why the arrival instruction is simple: open the box and get everything into your freezer straight away.
On arrival: cold and ready for the freezer
Put the order into −18°C storage as soon as you can. Use within about 6 months. Thaw only what you need for a feed (fridge or cool water — never microwave, never refreeze thawed prey).
More on sizes and first-time frozen feeding:
If a parcel looks damaged or wrong
Report it within 24 hours with your order number and photos. That window lets us sort problems while evidence is clear. Email info@thefeederco.co.za.
Prefer not to risk the courier?
Randburg collection is the simplest cold-chain: no insulated fee, you take the stock straight home to your freezer. Same product range — mice, rats, and day-old chicks.
Questions before you order? info@thefeederco.co.za — wholesale and standing orders welcome too.
