title: Potassium balance of the 5 to 8-week-old broiler exposed to constant heat or cycling high temperature stress and the effects of supplemental potassium chloride on body weight gain and feed efficiency.
abstract: Four experiments were conducted to study the impact of ambient temperature and relative humidity stress upon K excretion and the effects of KCl supplementation of broilers exposed to chronic heat and cycling temperature stress. Potassium excretion, corrected for K intake and body weight, increased by 633% as ambient temperature was elevated from a constant 24 C to a constant 35 C. Feed (.73% K) and drinking water (0% K) were supplemented with KCl so effects of KCl on live weight gain and feed efficiency could be evaluated. In a previous study at thermoneutral temperature, no benefit of supplemental KCl was observed whereas in this study a dietary level of 1.5 to 2% K in the form of KCl improved gain under conditions of chronic high ambient temperature stress. This equals about 1.8 to 2.3 g K per chick daily or about .24 to .3% of the drinking water.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects*; D002645:Chickens / Q000254:growth & development*; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008297:Male; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism*; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D011189:Potassium Chloride; D011188:Potassium