Effects of shaving on reproductive performance and protein metabolism in bucks under heat stress conditions.

INTRODUCTION: Heat stress (HS) adversely affects reproductive performance and protein metabolism in rabbits, posing significant challenges to livestock production in high-temperature environments. This study evaluated the effectiveness of summer shaving as a strategy to mitigate HS-induced reproductive impairment. METHODS: Thirty male and 240 female rabbits were assigned to shaved and control groups and exposed to HS conditions (temperature-humidity index, THI ≥ 27.8). Reproductive performance parameters were assessed in males and females. In addition, seminal plasma metabolomics was conducted to investigate metabolic alterations associated with shaving under HS. RESULTS: Shaving significantly improved semen volume, sperm density, and motility in males and accelerated post-HS recovery. In females, shaving increased litter size, number of live births, and neonatal litter weight under HS, with sustained benefits during the recovery period. Metabolomic analysis revealed distinct metabolic profiles, with upregulation of tryptophan metabolism under normal conditions and tyrosine metabolism under HS, alongside consistent downregulation of oleamide, nucleotide metabolism, and phenylalanine metabolism. DISCUSSION: These findings suggest that shaving alleviates HS-induced reproductive dysfunction by modulating metabolic pathways, reducing oxidative stress, and promoting resource allocation toward reproduction. As a practical and cost-effective intervention, shaving offers valuable potential for improving rabbit reproductive performance in hot climates.