Abstract
Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of dietary sodium and potassium excess on water consumption, urine excretion and moisture content of feces of the chickens with an artificial anus.
Water consumption, urine excretion and moisture content of feces of the chickens significantly increased when the dietary sodium levels were excess or potassium sulfate was added to the control diet. The dietary potassium excess affected much less compared with sodium excess on water consumption and urine excretion, whereas the effects of potassium and sodium excess on moisture content of feces were similar.
When potassium sulfate was supplemented to the diets along with sodium excess supplementation, water consumption and urine excretion increased but not significantly, whereas moisture content of feces was not affected.
In both experiments, there was a highly significant correlation between water consumption and urine excretion, and urine excretion increased proportionally with the increase of water consumption. However, the moisture content of feces did not increase over about 80%, even when water consumption increased markedly.
