Abstract
Abstract The relationship between factors which determine meal size and the determinants of daily intake is examined with the aim of assessing whether daily intake can be predicted by simulating the control of individual meals. The hypothesis that factors limiting the size of the first meal dominate the control of daily intake is discounted, based on eating patterns for forages. The potential for predicting intake using models which simulate the within-day pattern of eating is considered, but observations that meal size can change with restricted access to feed suggests that “set points” for factors ending meals vary in response to a control operating on a longer time scale. It is widely accepted that the intake “drive” is somehow related to the energy/oxygen metabolism of the animal, and meal size and pattern may be controlled to minimise the production of waste products. Alternatively, the degree of “discomfort” accepted by an animal may be greater the further the animal is from meeting its “target”. It is concluded that there is a need to understand better the relationship between factors controlling the size of individual meals and the control of daily intake to improve our ability to characterize feeds on the basis of their intake potential.
Published Version
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