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Daily and Diurnal Variations in the Ratio of Nitrogen to Potassium in the Urine of Pigs for the Estimation of the Retained Nitrogen

Department of Nutrition, National Institute of Animal Industry, Chiba, Japan, 280

Nitrogen retention determination by the potassium indicator method using urinary nitrogen and potassium excretion rates was studied with pigs. Urinary nitrogen/potassium concentration ratios became relatively constant in less than 7 days after the initiation of the feeding period. The average nitrogen retention (expressed as the percentage of retained to absorbed nitrogen) of five pigs determined by the potassium indicator method using the ratio of urinary nitrogen to potassium concentration excreted during 1-day periods closely agreed with those determined in a total collection trial of 5-day duration. Significant diurnal variations in urinary nitrogen and potassium excretion rates or urinary nitrogen/potassium concentration ratios with two peaks during a day occurred in young pigs fed twice daily. Some comparisons on sampling procedures were made. In early-weaned pigs fed ad libitum, diurnal variations of nitrogen/potassium concentration ratios were less clear than in young pigs, and representative samples could be obtained from the urine collected during 4 hours of the daytime. These results indicate the applicability of the potassium indicator method to a study of the nitrogen retention determination to pigs fed ad libitum on a lot basis.