Age, duration and intensity of feed restriction of broiler chickens were studied by L 9 (3 4 ) orthogonal experiment. Broiler production performance and meat color were measured to evaluate the effects of feed restriction and explore the superior FR program. A total of 250 1-day-old Ross 308 chicks were selected and randomly allocated to ten groups, including one feed ad libitum (AL) group and nine feed restriction (FR) groups; each group had 5 pens with 5 chickens each. Broilers (T 5 D 7 I 90 ), feed-restricted to 90% from day 5 to day 11, had the highest body weight (BW), carcass weight, eviscerated weight, leg muscle weight and breast muscle weight, as well as muscle ratio. While broilers (T 5 D 14 I 70 ), feed-restricted to 70% from day 5 to day 18, had the lowest. Triiodothyronine (T 3 ) and growth hormone (GH) decreased while thyroxine (T 4 ) and the ratio of T 4 /T 3 increased in FR broilers. Feed conversion ratio, abdominal fat ratio, whole eviscerated weight ratio and lightness (L*) and yellow/blue (b*) value of leg muscle color increased in FR broilers (P> 0.05). T 5 D 14 I 70 had the lowest red/green (a*) color value of leg muscle and the highest L* and b* color values of breast muscle (P> 0.05). FR groups except T 10 D 14 I 90 had lower a* color value of breast muscle than AL. FR program of T 5 D 7 I 90 resulted in superior production performance and higher capability of meat production. Broilers feedrestricted T 5 D 14 I 70 were stunted with the lowest muscle growth capability and deteriorated in the breast muscle color. FR improved leg muscle color and increased broiler byproduct production. Lower T 3 and GH concentration and higher T 4 /T 3 ratio in plasma were related with the increased feed conversion rate and fat deposition in FR broilers; however, they had no relation with meat production and growth rate.