A Post For All Forum Members

As most of you know, the goal of the Talk Budgie Forum is to promote best practice for the health and well being of your budgie.

Every time you post a comment or a picture, you are sharing it with not only all current and active members, but also anyone who may stumble across the forum while searching Google (and other browsers) for an answer.
That is easily thousands of people.

With this in mind, please remember that the overall goal of Talk Budgie is promoting best practice and should be kept in mind in EVERY post you make.

Please only offer advice when you are 100% certain it is correct.

Please remember that what you do for your bird might not follow the best practices of the forum and therefore should not be offered as advice to less experienced and knowledgeable members.

Please remember that when seeking advice we need as MUCH information as possible. The more information we have to start with, the quicker we will be able to offer you correct advice.

Please remember that we do not share graphic or inappropriate pictures, due to the fact that there are young members on the forum and YOU have a responsibility to post things that are appropriate.

If you have a sick budgie, we are not a substitute for an Avian vet. We simply can not do more than tell you how to comfort you budgie while you await an appointment. Some minor issues our experienced members will be able to offer help with, but if your budgie is very sick, or badly injured, make the appointment with an avian vet prior to asking what we can do to help while you wait.

Please remember that all staff here volunteer their free time to moderate these forums. The majority of that time is spent dealing with the above examples given regarding best practices.

Before I became a staff member, I always marvelled at the gentle, happy atmosphere of Talk Budgies and the reason it is like this is because Deborah leads a team of amazing staff members (past and present) in making sure anything that is not in keeping with the Forum's guidelines is removed before most people have seen it.

There is a LOT of work that goes into the forum behind the scenes and while not everyone agrees with how the forum runs, with strict guidelines pertaining to best practices, this is how the forum is run.

The one goal we all have is helping people to have happy, healthy pets.
That is all we want, for all of our members.

If you come to us and ask for help, everyone will try their hardest to give you the best possible answers we can, with the knowledge that we have.
Answers will vary, as certain subjects have no 'right' answer, but staff will always offer the very best advice they can while still keeping the best practices in mind at all times.

So if you have come to the Talk Budgie Forum looking for basic budgie information- you've come to the right place.
If you have come for guidance about cages, diet, bonding- you've come to the right place.
If you have come for help with caring for a sick budgie- you've come to the right place.
If you have come for a fun place to share pictures and talk about your budgie- you've come to the right place.

If you do not like rules, being 'told what to do' (listening to advice you have been given), people asking questions about your bird or it's history to gather more information to help you, then maybe Talk Budgie isn't for you.

I would never want to put people off joining the forum.
I believe everyone can learn or take steps to improve the situation their budgie is in, whether a rescue that was neglected or just a brand new owner.

I joined this forum with a budgie with scaly face mites and sand paper perches in the cage because I thought I knew about budgies from twenty years ago. It was a massive culture shock to learn so much information being a member of this group.
I now have eight budgies. They are healthy and happy because I have listened to the advice I have been given and followed it through.

I came here with an open mind and looking for how to make my budgies as happy and healthy as I could. If you think that you would like that too, then we will do all we can to help and support you.

Please remember to show ALL members of the forum basic courtesy in your interactions with them, and they will return it.

If you have any concerns or issues with anything posted, please contact a staff member.