Nutritional Requirements of the Protein-depleted Chicken

Abstract

Growing chickens were depleted of approximately ⅓ of their body weight by either During repletion, particularly with the lower protein levels, weight gains were related to carcass N at the time of the start of the experimental feeding period. The starved group which had the highest percentage of carcass N, gained the fastest and the essentially N-free group the slowest. Depleted groups had the capacity to reach a greater body weight than the controls, an observation that appeared to be reflected in a greater protein requirement for the former groups. Nonessential amino acid N did not substitute for protein, indicating, therefore, a specific requirement for essential amino acids.