Table 3.

Correlation coefficients between periods (P) for the mean values per goat per period of feed intake pattern measures following afternoon feed delivery for 35 goats

	P1 to P2	P1 to P3	P1 to P4	P2 to P3	P2 to P4	P3 to P4
Intake (g/kg BW)
DDMI	0.20	0.13	0.22	0.61**	0.46**	0.24
DMI90	0.38*	0.24	0.39*	0.60**	0.52**	0.27
DMI180	0.31	0.31	0.17	0.64**	0.31	0.21
DMI900	0.32	0.25	0.25	0.62**	0.29	0.03
DMI in the 1st meal	0.48**	0.29	0.07	0.68**	0.26	0.21
P90	0.43**	0.43**	0.46**	0.59**	0.66**	0.41*
P180	0.43**	0.50**	0.28	0.59**	0.46**	0.40*
a	0.23	0.23	0.33	0.67**	0.31	0.19
a*b	0.56**	0.46**	0.41*	0.60**	0.58**	0.35*
RMSE_ab	0.58**	0.43**	0.44**	0.61**	0.55**	0.68**
NDF sorting	0.36*	0.28	0.03	0.32	0.14	0.49**

DMI = dry matter intake; DDMI = daily DMI; DMI90 = DMI during the 90 min following afternoon feed delivery; DMI180 = DMI during the 180 min following afternoon feed delivery; DMI900 = DMI during the 900 min following afternoon feed delivery; DMI in the 1^st meal = sum of the quantity of feed eaten during the 1^st meal following afternoon feed delivery; P90 = ratio (DMI90/DMI900); P180 = ratio (DMI180/DMI900); a = asymptote of the curve describing DMI evolution with an exponential model; a*b = initial value of the slope of the curve describing DMI evolution with an exponential model; RMSE_ab = residual mean square error of the adjustment with an exponential model; NDF sorting = ratio between NDF content of intake and NDF content of offered diet.

P1 is end of first gestation, P2 is middle of first lactation, P3 is end of first lactation and middle of second gestation and P4 is middle of second lactation.

^*Correlations significantly different from 0; P < 0.05.

^**Correlations significantly different from 0; P < 0.01.