Effect of timing of urea feeding on the yield and quality of embryos in lactating dairy cows

High protein diets, which lead to excess production of nonprotein nitrogen such as ammonia and urea, have been associated with reduced fertility in dairy cows. In this study we test the hypothesis that diets containing high levels of quickly degradable urea nitrogen (QDN) compromise embryo development. Lactating dairy cows were fed mixed silage and concentrates twice daily. At 60 days postpartum, a synchronized estrus was induced and the cows were subsequently superovulated and inseminated using a standard protocol. On Day 7 after insemination, the uteri were flushed and embryos retrieved. At the start of treatment, cows were randomly allocated into three nutritional groups: control (CONT, n = 8), long (L-) QDN (n = 8) and short (S-) QDN (n = 9). The L-QDN cows were fed a supplement of urea from 10 days before insemination, and the S-QDN cows were fed the supplement from insemination until embryo collection. Both L- and S-QDN diets produced significant increases in plasma ammonia and urea 3 h post-feeding. The S-QDN but not the L-QDN diet was associated with a significant reduction in embryo yield. Embryo quality was also significantly reduced in the S-QDN cows. This study indicates that there is no deleterious effect on the yield and quality of embryos recovered 7 days after breeding when QDN feeding is initiated during the previous midluteal phase. However, introduction of a similar diet 10 days later, at the time of insemination, was deleterious. We suggest that QDN is toxic to embryos but cows can adjust within 10 days.