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Effects of Potassium in a Purified Equine Diet¹

Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506

The effects of 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0 and 1.2% potassium, as K₂CO₃, in a purified diet were studied in orphaned foals of mixed breeding ranging in age from 11 to 57 days. Observations regarding feed intake, rate of gain, packed cell volume (PCV), erythrocyte counts (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), leukocyte counts (WBC), and serum Na, K and Fe were made. Consumption of the 0.2% K diet after 8 days was inadequate to support growth. The foals consumed the 1.0 and 1.2% K diet at significantly higher rates (28.8 and 27.5 g/kg foal per day, respectively) than the 0.4% K diet. Rates of gain of foals fed 0.4 to 1.2% K did not differ significantly from one another and were comparable to rates of gain of naturally fed foals (0.9 to 1.0 kg/day). There was a tendency for foals fed 0.8 to 1.2% K to make the most efficient gains, 2.5 to 2.8 g feed/gram gain corrected for body weight. The foals fed 1.0% K had significantly higher PCV, Hb, RBC and serum Fe values than foals fed either 0.4 or 1.2% K. The serum K and Fe of the foals fed both 0.8 and 1.0% K were significantly greater than for foals fed 0.6% K. Under the conditions of the experiment an intake of 206 to 288 mg K/kg body weight per day, or 2.6 to 3.2 mg K/kcal was considered a recommended range for foals 1 to 3 months old.

² Present Address: Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514.

Manuscript received 3 March 1970.