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Whole-Body Protein Turnover in Chicks at Early Stages of Growth

Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku Nagoya 464, Japan

Changes in whole-body protein turnover rate in young chicks were measured during very early stages of chicken growth. Day-old single comb White Leghorn male chicks were fed an adequate purified diet. Whole-body protein turnover was determined weekly for 4 wk. Fractional rates of protein synthesis (percent/day) in the whole body decreased from 1 to 4 wk of age while those of degradation remained unchanged. When expressed in terms of body weight per se, no significant change in absolute protein turnover rate (grams/day) was found during the experimental period; however, when expressed in terms of metabolizable body weight (kilograms^0.75), turnover rates increased slightly. Thus, during the first 4 wk of life no decrease in the whole-body protein turnover rate was found in chickens on the basis of units or metabolic body size. Twenty to 28% of the total heat production was accounted for by the energy expenditure due to whole-body protein synthesis.

KEY WORDS: • protein turnover • whole body • young chicks • energy cost

Manuscript received 20 August 1984.