Effect of arginine deficiency on normal and dystrophic chickens

Normal and genetically dystrophic chickens were fed diets deficient in arginine or further aggravated by the addition of lysine. Growth of dystrophic chicks is depressed less by a deficiency of arginine than that of normal chicks. Muscular ability of dystrophic chicks was improved by feeding them an arginine deficient diet but this effect may be related to the size of the bird. The total creatinine content of the pectoral muscle of dystrophic chicks was reduced more with a deficiency of arginine than was that of normal chickens.