'Fat cows deliver wee boys'

'New data from a study of Waikato cows suggests that if women want to give birth to a boy, then hitting the high-calorie diet before conception may be just the trick. Shedding kilos beforehand may help to ensure a girl.

Scientists from the Hamilton-based dairy research organisation Dexcel and an Irish colleague have studied 18 years' worth of data from 1200 cows.

"Cows gaining weight or condition - primarily body fat - prior to conception are more likely to have a bull calf nine months later," Dexcel scientist John Roche said yesterday.

The reverse was true when it came to births of heifers (females).'

Complete article by Stephen Ward - Fat cows deliver wee boys