1. The effect of crude protein (CP) level in starter diet (259 or 216 g CP and 11.7 MJ ME/kg, fed from 0 to 21 d of age) on growth pattern (0 – 70 d of age) was analysed in Japanese quail lines divergently selected for high (HG) and low (LG) relative gain of body weight (BW) between 11 and 28 d of age, and constant BW at 49 d of age. 2. Both lines fed on low CP diet showed a transient BW retardation between 7 and 35 d of age. However, a lower tolerance of HG vs LG quail to the reduction of CP level in food was evident from their stronger BW retardation at 14 d of age, more delayed onset of the compensatory growth and greater prolongation of the acceleration growth phase in consequence of insufficient dietary CP level.3. The LG line consumed a more food than the HG line on both CP diets and its consumption was not influenced by the food quality. In contrast, HG quail reduced food intake with the decrease of dietary CP level. This was associated with a higher fatness of LG vs HG quail on both diets.