Don't know what they've got?

OK, so I get that a lot of people who own chickens and other animals don't know what they have. I have several chickens that look kinda like --fill in the blank-- but they're mutts so I'm just guessing, but last night I was on a local internet classifieds list looking at poultry (because I'm addicted and even if I can't buy, I simply MUST look).

First I come across a listing for bantam silkies. Click on the page to see the cute birds. The blurb says they're eight weeks old and nearly feathered out. The picture shows cute little white birds with smooth feathers, yellow beaks and feet, no feathers on the legs, and maybe 4 or 5 weeks worth of feathers. So maybe the pic was a few weeks old, but do you remember me saying they were supposed to be silkies? Clearly the person either has no idea what he/she is selling, or just likes the name and hopes some sucker will buy them anyway. Here's the link: link
Next I come across a listing for Toulouse geese. cool, I have one, she's a sweetie. Click on the link. the picture has two geese, 1 is a white chinese. The other is either a brown Chinese or an African (look the same in photos to me. I have an African and W Chinese myself). Love that they post pics of birds that aren't what they are trying to get rid of, or do they not know what they have?

I have no issue with "I've got a rooster to give away, come pick him up!" ads with no pictures (OK, so I do wish they had pics, that's half the fun of haunting the list, but that's beside the point) but if you're going to post picture and say what you've got, don't you think the two should match?

 

I am from Utah. I thought they weren't fluffy enough for cochins, but I haven't studied much on the breeds I don't have myself so I wasn't sure what they were--I just knew they DEFINITELY weren't silkies. lol

If you don't know what you have, you definitely ought to post a picture, and if I'm going to buy a bird from you (and travel to get it, since all the ads are hours from me--I live in a rural area), you better believe I'm going to want a picture in advance.

I suppose you might not know what kind of chicken you have (I couldn't do that myself, unless it's obviously a mutt), but I already raise chickens, so I know how to care and feed them. If I got a different kind of bird, i would want to spend a lot of time learning about them to know proper care and feeding. Taking on any animal without having a clue what it's nutritional needs are is totally nuts.