In summary, feeding pigs at distinct morning and afternoon
periods stimulated insulin secretion, which resulted in a distinct
spike following each feeding period, whereas plasma insulin
concentrations remained unresponsive in pigs fed ad libitum.
Importantly, the duration of the feeding period may also influence
insulin secretion and this may in turn influence production
outcomes. This altered insulin status was associated with
enhanced productivity, resulting in improvements in FCR and
carcass composition. The results from the present experiments
suggested that a bi-phasic feeding pattern may be beneficial to
commercial piggeries. However, the optimum feeding duration,
effect of age as well as the practicalities of the implementation