The effects of changes in dietary protein and water availability on urinary nitrogen compounds in the rooster, Gallus domesticus— I. Urine flow and the excretion of uric acid and ammonia

Abstract

1. 1. Increased dietary protein content caused increases in the rates of drinking, urine flow, uric acid excretion and ammonia excretion of roosters. Urinary uric acid concentrations increased while ammonia concentrations remained constant, which resulted in changes in the distribution of nitrogen between these components. 2. 2. Water restriction caused an increase in the proportion of the urinary nitrogen excreted as ammonia and a decrease in the proportion excreted as uric acid. Thus, our results do not support the generalization that increasing the excretion of uric acid is an adaptive means by which birds minimize excretory water loss under limited water conditions.