The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of short term non-protein nitrogen feeding at different periods of the oestrus cycle in superovulated cows, without previous adaptation, on yield, quality and development degree of recovered embryos. A total of sixty-eight Nelore cows were distributed in three groups: the control group (C) and two groups with urea supply before (UB; urea supply from day -5 to day 0) and after (UA; supply from day 0 to day 5) artificial insemination. Animals were kept grazing and received 3.0 kg/animal/day of concentrate during 16 days. Two concentrates were formulated and the total diets (concentrate and estimate forage intake) showed 12.0% (control diet) and 14.6% (non-protein diet) of crude protein. Animals were synchronized, superovulated and inseminated. The embryos were collected and analysed seven days (day 7) after insemination (day 0). Blood samples were collected on days -5, 0 and 5 to determine concentration of plasmatic urea nitrogen, glucose, insulin and progesterone. The time of urea supply affected average plasmatic urea nitrogen concentration on days -5, 0 5 but it did not affect concetrations of glucose, insulin and progesterone. The moment of urea inclusion had effect on compact morula percentage in relation to the total number of structures (UB = 51.4 vs. UA = 15.3%), to the total number of fertilized oocytes (UB = 62.5 vs. UA = 30.6%) and to the total number of viable embryos (UB = 68.8 vs. UA = 38.6%). In the after insemination group of urea supply there was 70.2% of reduction on compact morula proportion over the total structures in relation to the group that received urea before insemination. Non-protein nitrogen feeding immediately after insemination promotes faster rates of embryo development.
crude protein; embryo; Nelore; plasmatic urea nitrogen (PUN); urea
