Sex Identification of Feather Color in Geese and the Expression of Melanin in Embryonic Dorsal Skin Feather Follicles

The study investigated the relationship between feather color and sex in Holdobaggy goslings, finding that females typically had darker dorsal plumage due to higher melanin content in their feather follicles compared to males (p < 0.05). The research involved observing feather follicle structure and melanin distribution using HE staining and melanin-specific staining, and measuring melanin content with ELISA. Additionally, the study analyzed melanin-related gene expression, revealing that TYRP1 mRNA levels were significantly higher in females, while ASIP mRNA levels were higher in males (p < 0.05). The findings confirmed that sex identification based on initial plumage color was feasible.