Tight regulation of the proliferative status of intestinal stem cells is critical for establishing a functional epithelial layer during development, a homeostatic state in adulthood, and the ability to rapidly repair injury to maintain the barrier to the outside environment. Our data reveal functional differences in the Bmi1+ ISC across development, with evidence that late stage Bmi1+ ISCs give rise to differentiated cell lineages. Importantly, our data provide the foundation for exploring an underlying mechanism that regulates proliferative state of a stem cell population in the intestine, with important implications on development, injury repair and diseases such as cancer.