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Actually, with a redder comb, it CAN BE gender specific, with testosterone levels making a comb redder (an easy way in non-silkies to tell boys earlier), and presence of double barring in cuckoos making it lighter/redder than in their single barred female counterparts. So, all other things being equal, male combs are more likely than female combs to be too light. Wheaten genes lighten skin, so buffs that are wheaten based have lighter skin than those that are e^b based. I know of no gene that specifically affects comb colour: supposedly breeds with the Fm gene will have mulberry coloured combs, those without will have red combs. Melanizers can darken skin as well as plumage, dilulters can affect skin as well as plumage. However, in my coop right now is a very dark skinned boy with a much too red comb. I have no explanation.
Actually, with a redder comb, it CAN BE gender specific, with testosterone levels making a comb redder (an easy way in non-silkies to tell boys earlier), and presence of double barring in cuckoos making it lighter/redder than in their single barred female counterparts. So, all other things being equal, male combs are more likely than female combs to be too light. Wheaten genes lighten skin, so buffs that are wheaten based have lighter skin than those that are e^b based. I know of no gene that specifically affects comb colour: supposedly breeds with the Fm gene will have mulberry coloured combs, those without will have red combs. Melanizers can darken skin as well as plumage, dilulters can affect skin as well as plumage. However, in my coop right now is a very dark skinned boy with a much too red comb. I have no explanation.
silkies :
