Few studies have examined the importance of the time during which oocytes are left in the ovaries following animal slaughter. The objective of this study was to determine the optimal time for retrieving oocytes after slaughter and to ascertain if superovulating cows in association with this optimal time could increase the developmental competence of bovine oocytes. In Experiment 1, oocytes were left in the postmortem ovaries for 2,3,4,5,6 or 7 h and were then transported to the laboratory at approximately 30 degrees C. Recovered oocytes were processed in vitro using standard techniques. In Experiment 2, cyclic heifers (n = 18) were superovulated between Days 8 and 12 of the estrous cycle with 8 constant doses (4 mg each, twice daily) or 8 decreasing doses (2 injections of 4,3,2 and 1 mg every 12 h) of FSH-P +/- 1 mg prostaglandin 24 or 48 h before slaughter. Oocytes were left in the ovaries for 4 h and were classified according to the state of their cumulus and cytoplasm. The results indicated that oocytes aspirated from ovaries collected 4 h after slaughter produced significantly more > or =64-cell embryos after 7 d of in vitro development than those collected 2, 6 or 7 h postslaughter. Oocytes (87%) from superovulated animals had numerous layers of cumulus cells and originated from medium (2.7 to 8 mm) and large (> or =8 mm) follicles. Significantly more oocytes developed from large follicles than from medium follicles. Although individual culture of the oocytes negatively affected the percentage of embryos produced, group culture of oocytes from animals that were superovulated and left in the postmortem ovaries for 4 h resulted in exceptionally high rates of embryos after 5 d of IVD. On average, 60 to 80% of 16-cell embryos were produced, indicating that under the proper conditions, developmental competence is acquired before in vitro maturation.