Effects of prefasting dietary protein levels on body weight changes and some tissue weights of chicks during starvation were investigated. Chicks (8-day-old) were ad libitum given diets different in protein levels at 10, 20 or 40% for 7 days, then they were fasted. After 0, 1, 2, 4 and 8 days of fasting, body weight and weights of liver, intestine, breast muscle (M. pectoralis profundus) and (proventriculus + gizzard) were weighed. Nitrogen content in tissues was also determined. Body weight

more »

... s during fasting was larger as the prefasting dietary protein content increased. Weights of intestine and breast muscle drastically decreased with the increase of prefasting dietary protein content. Among the tissues, nitrogen content was rapidly reduced in muscle and followed by the intestine and liver by fasting. It was concluded that the protein nutrition before starvation greatly influenced on nitrogen contents and weights in some organs of chicks during the deprivation of diets.