Intestinal development of bovine foetuses during gestation is affected by foetal sex and maternal nutrition

Summary We aimed to evaluate the effects of maternal nutrition (MN) and foetal sex on the intestinal development of bovine foetuses throughout different days of gestation (DG). Forty‐four multiparous, dry Holstein × Gyr cows with average initial body weight of 480 ± 10 kg were fed the same diet of either restricted feeding at 1.15% of body weight (CO, n = 24) or fed ad libitum (overnourished, ON, n = 20). Six cows from CO group and five cows from ON group were slaughtered at 139, 199, 241 and 268 DG, and foetuses were necropsied to evaluate the intestinal development. The mass, length and density of foetal intestines were not affected by MN (p ≥ 0.260). An interaction between MN and DG was observed for the villi length of jejunum (p = 0.006) and ileum (p