Effects of Age of Bird and Hemoglobin Type on the Concentration of Adult Hemoglobin Components of the Domestic Fowl

Abstract

THERE are three different hemoglobins in the adult domestic fowl which can be separated electrophoretically with no purification procedures. One of these components, the “major band,” is present in all birds. The other two “minor,” more acidic bands can be present singly, resulting in hemograms with two components or in combination resulting in hemograms with three components. The minor bands differ in their electrophoretic mobility, the mutant band migrating at a faster rate. These differences in the minor hemoglobin components have been shown to be due to allelic co-dominant genes (Washburn, 1968).In routine electrophoretic analysis of hemoglobin in this laboratory, a “trace” hemoglobin band was occasionally observed in birds with the abnormal minor band. The presence or absence of this band did not appear to be related to genetic factors since its occurrence was not consistent among different samples and those taken at different ages of the same individual, .