This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary tyrosine levels on performance and dissociative tyrosine contents in serum and tissues and melanin contents in tissues of Taihe silky fowls aged from 1 to 4 weeks. A total of 270 1-day-old Taihe silky fowls were randomly allotted to 6 groups with 3 replicates of 15 birds each and were raised to 4 weeks of age. The birds in 6 groups were fed diets with tyrosine levels of 0.38%, 0.58%, 0.78%, 0.98%, 1.18% and 1.38%, respectively. The results showed as follows: the average daily gain (ADG) and the average daily feed intake (ADFI) of Taihe silky fowls increased with the increasing of dietary tyrosine levels, and the feed to gain ratio (F/G) of Taihe silky fowls decreased with the increasing of dietary tyrosine levels, and when dietary tyrosine level was 1.18%, ADG was the highest and F/G was the lowest. ADG in 1.18% group was significantly higher than that in other groups （P<0.01）, and F/G was significantly lower than that in other groups except 0.78% group and 0.98% group （P<0.01）. Meanwhile, the dissociative tyrosine contents in serum and tissues increased with the increasing of dietary tyrosine levels, and when dietary tyrosine level was 1.18%, the dissociative tyrosine contents were the highest, and significantly higher than those in other groups (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Moreover, the melanin contents in tissues increased firstly and decreased afterwards with the increasing of dietary tyrosine levels, and the melanin contents in heart, muscle and skin in 1.18% group were the highest, and significantly higher than those in other groups （P<0.01）, but the melanin contents in liver in 0.98% group were the highest and significantly higher than those in other groups （P<0.01）. In conclusion, in a suitable range of dietary tyrosine level, the dissociative tyrosine contents in serum and tissues, the melanin contents in tissues and performance of Taihe silky fowls could increase with the increasing the dietary tyrosine levels.［Chinese Journal of Animal Nutrition, 2010，22（1）:181-186］