1. Results of 138 nitrogen balance studies from experiments with forty male Limousin and nineteen male Ile de France preruminant lambs were used to estimate total N requirements and to assess the effects of dietary tricaproin inclusion, protein concentration, lysine and methionine supplementation and the age of lambs on protein retention. In addition, energy balances were obtained in twenty-four of the Limousin lambs from birth up to 3 weeks of age by means of a slaughter technique.2. For milk substitute unsupplemented with amino acids, tricaproin inclusion increased N balance slightly (P -= 0.001) when a medium-protein concentration (260 g/kg dry matter (DM)) was used, in 2-week-old lambs (f4.3 %) and in 5-week-old Limousin lambs (+ 5.3 %), or very markedly when a high-protein concentration (320 g/kg DM) was used, in 2-week-old lambs (+ 14.5 %) and in 5-week-old lambs ( f 18.6 %). Protein requirements decreased from 300 g/kg DM in 3-week-old lambs to 270 g/kg D M in 5-week-old lambs for the control milk containing tallow-coconut oil mixture (0.67:0.33 by wt) and was increased above 300 g/kg DM at all ages in the case of experimental milk containing tallow-coconut oil-tricaproin mixture (0.33 : 0.33 : 0.33, by 3. For milk containing either a medium-or a high-protein concentration and supplemented with lysine and methionine, inclusion of tricaproin increased N balance (P < 001) to a similar extent (+ 8.5 up to + 14.3 %) in 1 to 2-and 3-week-old Limousin lambs. An increase in N concentration in the milk had no effect in 1-and 2-weekold lambs, but led to a decreased N balance in 3-week-old lambs. Protein requirements decreased from 310 g/kg DM in 1-week-old lambs to 190 g/kg DM in 3-week-old lambs for the milk containing tallow-coconut oil or from 300g/kg DM in 2-week-old lambs to 210g/kg DM in 3-week-old lambs for the milk containing tallowcoconut oil-tricaproin. 4. For the Ile de France lambs given milk supplemented with lysine and methionine, tricaproin inclusion did not alter N balance. Protein requirements decreased from 370 g/kg D M in 2-week-old lambs to 270 g/kg D M in 4-week-old lambs for milk containing both kinds of fat mixtures.5. Between birth and 3 weeks of age, efficiency of metabolizable energy (ME) utilization in the Limousin lambs was not dependent on the nature of the milk fat or the protein concentration of the diet (ME efficiency for tissue deposition varying from 0672 to 0.698) whilst ME efficiency for protein deposition was 052 and ME efficiency for lipid deposition was close to 1 ; daily maintenance expenditure was 553 kJ/kg body-weight0'5. wt).Despite much research, the efficiency of medium-chain fatty acids in the utilization of energy for growth has still not been accurately determined. Substitution of tricaprylin (C,) or tricaproin (C,) for equal amounts of energy from starch in the diet of young growing rats leads, in most instances, to reduced tissue energy deposition (