Maternal energy and/or protein malnourishment has been shown to predispose adult offspring to increased risk of metabolic disorders. In this study significant protein or energy restriction during early or late gestation, along side control-fed animals was used to investigate the effect of prenatal nutritional experience on birth weight, postnatal growth and body composition of the adult offspring as assessed with Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA). 39 Scottish Blackface sheep were either fed an adequate diet for protein and energy requirements from day 0 (mating date) to term (control, n=12) or a diet deficient in energy (65% requirement; LE) or protein only (50% control intake; LP). The period of nutritional restriction was also varied within dietary groups, thus; LE was imposed during early (0-65 days, LEE; n=7) or late (65-125 days, LEL; n=7) gestation and also LP during early (0-65 days, LPE; n=7) or late gestation (65-145 days, LPL; n=6). Lambs delivered naturally and were ewe-reared to weaning at 10 weeks and then fed grass thereafter. Weights were recorded periodically to 2 years of age. The Lunar Hologic DPX-L fast-detail smartscan recorded whole body fat, lean mass and bone mineral density (BMD). There were no significant effects of diet or treatment on birth weight, but a significant effect of diet (P=0.01) was observed on growth to weaning. In effect, LP exposed lambs grew more slowly (234±10 g/day) and LE grew faster (270±10 g/day) than controls (251±10 g/day). By 2 years of age, male sheep were larger than female sheep in all groups (REML estimate +5.15 ± 1.5 kg males > females) and LP exposed sheep remained lighter than both controls and LE exposed sheep (Control, 50±1; LP, 46±1; LE, 51±1). DXA examination indicated no effect of prenatal diet on % fat mass, lean mass or BMD. There was no effect of offspring sex on % fat mass or BMD but lean mass was, as expected lower in female (40±1 kg) vs. (45±1 kg) male offspring. Prenatal protein vs. energy undernutrition in sheep has contrasting effects on postnatal growth. Low protein significantly reduced growth, while low energy significantly increased growth relative to control. The effect of a maternal low protein diet on offspring growth is greater when fed over late gestation whereas the reverse is true for a low-energy diet; growth being greater when the period of energy restriction was confined to early gestation. In contrast to many studies in laboratory species, prenatal undernutrition (of protein or energy) has no effect on adult body composition as assessed by DXA in this study.