Three starter diets ranging from 205 to 242 g protein/kg with 3.30 Meal (13.8 MJ) true metabolizable energy (TME)/kg and four finisher diets ranging from 166 to 227 g protein/kg with 3.36 Meal (14.1 MJ) TME/kg were fed to broilers in a factorial experiment involving 1650 chickens.Weight gains to 4 weeks improved with increasing starter protein and the differences were maintained to 8 weeks. Feed efficiency to 4 but not 8 weeks improved with increasing starter protein.Carcass fleshing grades and breast meat yield at slaughter (6, 7, and 8 weeks) increased with higher starter protein.Weight gains from 4 to 8 weeks were not significantly affected by finisher protein levels, but feed efficiency of males was improved when the diet contained 189 g or more protein/kg. Finisher protein had little effect on carcass fat scores, but carcass skin and abdominal fat yields decreased with increasing protein. Total meat and breast meat yields increased together with the finisher protein.Increased total mortality and losses attributed to leg problems were associated with the highest starter protein level. However, total mortality decreased linearly with increasing finisher protein.Incidence of sudden death syndrome was not significantly related to diet. (