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Dietary Maintenance Requirement of Sodium for Wether Lambs¹

University of Manitoba,³ Winnipeg, Canada

Abstract

Balance studies were conducted to investigate the sodium requirement for wether lambs when a diet considered low in potassium was fed. In this study purified diets were fed which supplied 30.5 mEq. of potassium and 4.0, 44.0 or 129.0 mEq. of sodium daily. The balance data suggest that the daily sodium requirement for maintenance of wether lambs is near 44.0 mEq. (1.01 gm.) when 30.5 mEq. (1.19 gm.) of potassium are fed. Energy and dry matter digestibilities were not significantly affected by the levels of sodium fed. In addition, there was no statistically significant change in serum concentrations of sodium, potassium and chloride in any lambs over the 30-day period. When 129.0 mEq. of sodium was fed the balance data indicated that 30.5 mEq. (1.19 gm.) of potassium daily was sufficient to satisfactorily maintain the lambs.

¹ Appreciation is expressed to the National Research Council of Canada for partial financial support of this research.

² Taken from thesis data submitted by the senior author in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a Master of Science in Agriculture.

³ Department of Animal Science.

⁴ Contained the following (expressed in gm. per lb.): CaCO₃, 177.06; CaHPO₄, 222.75; MgSO₄, 49.0; FeSO₄, 4.13; MnSO₄, 0.45; CuSO₄, 0.09; KI, 0.14; ZnSO₄, 0.32; CoCl₂, 0.0014; Mo0₃, 0.0036; and vitamins A and D to supply 2,000 and 500 I.U., respectively, daily. Potassium as K₂CO₃ and sodium as Na₂CO₃ were added at levels to supply 30.5 mEq. daily of potassium and 4.0, 44.0 and 129.0 mEq. daily of sodium.