The effects of dietary taurine on growth and its physiological mechanisms were investigated in male broiler chicks. One day-old chicks were allocated to one of four taurine supplemented diets: 0(control), 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 taunuine. Body weights of chicks fed the 0.5% diet were increased at 2, 4 and 6 weeks by 10, 9 and 6%, respectively, compared to those of the control (P$lt;0.05). Body weights of chicks fed the L0% diet increased at 2 and 4 wks by 14 and 8%, respectively (P$lt;0.05), but there were no differences at 6 wks compared to the control. There were no differences in body weights between the 1.5% diet and the control. Neither the 0.5% nor the 1.0% dietary taurine affected feed efficiency. However, the 1.5% taurine supplementation improved feed efficiency by 9.9% compared to the control (P$lt; 0.05). Furthermore, the I.0% supplementation lowered abdominal fat amount by 21.6% compared to the control (P$lt;0.05). The supplementations did not affect kidney and heart weights or shank lengths. The growth rates of chicks fed the taurine supplemented diet for 3 wks were higher in summer than in spring, indicating that taurine functioned as a heat-shock stress modulate. Liver weights of chicks fed the 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5% diets were increased at 3 weeks by 15.7%, 20.9% and 19.6%, respectively, relative to the control (P$lt;0.05). The total protein content of liver of chicks fed the 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5% diets were increased at 3 wks by 13.3%, 20.0% and 26.7%, respectively, compared to the control (P$lt;0.05). However, taurine supplementation did not affect protein and DNA contents per gram of liver tissue or liver protein to DNA ratio. The 0.5% and 1.0% dietary taurine increased concentration of triglyceride in serum at 3 wks by 17.9% and 105%, respectively, compared to the control (P$lt;0.05). The dietary 1.5% taurine increased concentrations of cholesterol and HDL(high density lipoprotein) in serum at 3 wks by 21.9 and 12.2%, respectively, compared to the control (P$lt;0.05). However, triglyceride concentration in liver tissues of chicks fed the 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% were decreased at 3 wks by 16.7, 29.1 and 25%, respectively, relative to the control (P$lt;0.05). The 1.0 and 1.5% dietary taurine increased liver cholesterol content by 23.5 and 14.7%, respectively, relative to the control (P$lt;0.05). The 1.5% dietary leonine increased liver HDL content by 14.7% compared to the control (P$lt;0.05). The results indicated that taurine supplementation increased body weights in chicks to the greatest extend in early life. It was accompanied by modulation of heat stress and improvements in liver function, fat absorption and fat utilization.