Circadian patterns of drinking and eating in pygmy goats

The eating and drinking patterns of pygmy goats fed ad lib and kept on a 12 h light/12 h dark cycle were recorded and analyzed. Eighty-four percent of drafts (drinking bouts) were associated with meals (feeding bouts). Only 42% of meals were associated with drafts. In the light phase meals associated with drafts were significantly larger than meals not associated with drafts, suggesting that meal size is increased by water intake around meals. Cumulative food intake was positively correlated with cumulative water intake, but the correlation was weaker during the dark phase than during the light phase. The results demonstrate that water intake in ruminants is associated with food intake, but the link between water and food intake seems to be more pronounced during the light phase than during the dark phase.