[Methodological approach to the circadian pattern of food intake in the growing domestic rabbit]

We graphically recorded the feeding pattern of 9 New Zealand male rabbits during weeks 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 of age. Feeding was considered as a periodic series of discrete events. We fitted a periodic Poisson process to each particular series. In order to determine if the model was a good representation of the time series, we compared the estimated density curves with non-parametric estimations of density. Approximation of the circadian pattern using the model was better from week 15 on. Before this age, 24-hour feeding activity was generally characterized by two peaks. The parameters of the model--average number of food intakes over a 24-hour period, time of highest feeding activity and scatter index--were easy to interpret. Age variations in circadian feeding pattern were mainly characterized by shortening of scatter and shifting of peak feeding activity from the beginning to the middle of the dark period between weeks 6 and 18.