FEEDING PATTERNS IN PIGS - EFFECTS OF AMINO-ACID DEFICIENCY

Records of feeding behaviour were collected from 10 pigs fed diets based on maize and meat and bone meal, with or without a supplement of L tryptophan. The pigs ate between 5 and 16 meals per day in a distinct diurnal pattern. The tryptophan deficient diet decreased total food intake and average meal size. The effect on the daily number of meals and average meal duration was smaller suggesting that the influence of the tryptophan deficiency was to reduce the rate of feeding