Sixty Merino lambs were randomly allotted to one of six feeding levels. The feeding levels were ad libitum (control) and 0,82; 0,72; 0,65; 0,55 and 0,45 of ad libitum. The feeding levels were calculated from the average weekly feed intake of the ad libitum group. From 25 to 33 kg live mass, the lambs received restricted feeding except for the control group. At 33 kg live mass, half of each group were slaughtered, whilst the remainder were fed ad libitum up to 45 kg live mass when they were slaughtered. The 0,55 and 0,45 groups were prematurely put on ad libitum at 31 and 28 kg live mass respectively as the ad libitum group reached 45 kg live mass before the 0,55 and 0,45 groups reached 33 kg live mass. Individual feed intakes and live masses were determined weekly. With the aid of the allometric-autoregression model, moisture retention, protein and fat deposition rates were calculated. Moisture retention relative to fat deposition of the 0,65; 0,55 and 0,45 ad libitum groups were lower than the ad libitum, 0,82 and 0,72 ad libitum groups during the restriction phase. Fat relative to protein deposition of the first mentioned three groups were higher than the last mentioned three groups. During the realimentation phase the reverse pattern was found.