The South African Journal of Animal Science is an open access, peer-reviewed journal. The journal publishes reports of research dealing with the production of farmed animal species (cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, poultry and ostriches), as well as pertinent aspects of research on companion animals and aquatic and wildlife species. All submitted articles are subjected to a single-blind peer review process that is managed by a section editor under the supervision of the editor-in-chief. Copyright of a published article resides with the authors. Such articles will be published as open access content and be covered by the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 South African Licence. Users may copy, distribute, transmit and adapt the work, but must recognise the authors and the South African Journal of Animal Science.
Originally supported by the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), the South African Journal of Animal Science moved online in the early 2000s using a custom-built manuscript submission and editorial management system. In August 2025, the journal transitioned to the Public Knowledge Project’s Open Journal Systems (PKP OJS), hosted by Khulisa Journals at the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf).
In line with international best practices, the journal integrates key components of digital research infrastructure, including DOIs (digital object identifiers), ORCID iDs (researcher identifiers), ROR IDs (research organisation identifiers), and CCLs (Creative Commons Licences), ensuring transparency, traceability, and global interoperability.
As of August 2025, the South African Journal of Animal Science makes use of the Crossref 10.17159 DOI prefix. View the journal metadata health and the Crossref DOI Conflict Report here.
If you experience any problems with the journal’s online platform, please contact the editor-in-chief at [email protected].
Clarivate Journal Impact Factor (2024): 0.6 (Q4 of subject category)
Clarivate Journal Citation Indicator (2024): 0.26
Scopus CiteScore (2024): 1.4
Relationship between the fertility of super ovulated ewes and the pre-ovulatory E2 surge
The influence of the pre-ovulatory oestradiol-17ß (E2) surge on yield of viable embryos was studied in 28 oestrus synchronized SAMM ewes. Ewes were super ovulated either with FSHo (88 units in 6 divided doses) or PMSG (1200 IU). Blood samples for…
Immunisation of ewes against oestradiol-17â in an attempt to increase the yield of viable
The effect of immunization against oestradiol-17â (E2) on fertilization rates and of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) in reducing the proportion of unovulated follicles from super ovulated ewes was examined. Forty South African Mutton Merino ewes were divided into four treatments…
Blood, rib bone and rumen fluid as indicators of phosphorus status of grazing beef cows supplemented with different levels of ph
Sixty-six grazing beef cows at Armoedsvlakte were supplemented per fistulam with different levels of phosphorus (P) from 1984 to 1989. Supplementation was provided according to a 3 x 2 factorial of three levels of P (Low, Medium and High), in…
Effect of confinement area on production, physiological parameters and behaviour of Friesian cows during winter in a temperate c
In mild climatic regions, open camp systems (dry lots) may be used for dairy cattle. These have a lower capital investment cost than intensive housing systems although the management of open camps is more difficult. The effect of (a) an…
Heritability estimates for pre-weaning growth traits in the Adelaide Boer goat flock
Data consisting of records from 3 040 animals, born of 59 sires and 597 dams, were collected from 1978 to 1991 and analysed to estimate variance components for birth weight, weaning weight, average daily gain (ADG) and Kleiber ratio. Birth…
Variance components and genetic parameters for body weight and fleece traits of Merino sheep in an arid environment
Data collected on the Carnarvon Merino flock over the period 1962 to 1983 were used for this study. Variance components resulting from direct additive genetic effects, maternal additive genetic effects, maternal permanent environmental effects, as well as the relationship between…
Characterization of beef cattle breeds by virtue of their performances in the National Beef Cattle Performance and Progeny Testi
Average growth and body weight data, which comprised 745 400 weaning records and 14 990 Phase C growth records of young bulls of 16 breeds were obtained from the National Beef Cattle Performance and Progeny Testing Scheme and used in…
Meeting the protein requirements of ruminant livestock
Ruminant animals acquire their amino acids from the small intestinal digestion of ruminally derived microbial protein and dietary protein which has escaped ruminal degradation. The UK metabolizable protein system provides a framework with which the net absorption of amino acids…
Preliminary report on a novel straw semen freezing method for ram spermatozoa (Short Communication)
A straw (0.25 ml French) semen freezing method for ram spermato¬zoa using a temperature controlled stainless steel plate is described to possibly replace the conventional static liquid nitrogen vapour freezing method.
The effects of phosphorus supplementation on body mass and reproduction of grazing beef cows supplemented with different levels
In an attempt to quantify the requirement for supplementary phosphorus (P) of grazing beef cattle at Armoedsvlakte (which is notorious for its P deficient pastures), 66 cows received supplementary P per fistulam from 1984 to 1989. Supplementation was provided according…
A comparison of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) cultivars Exalta and Midmar with respect to their nutritive value for shee
The nutritive value of Exalta was compared with Midmar in a grazing trial with lambs and in a digestion trial with mature wethers. The study was conducted between 17 August and 8 October 1993. Fifteen lambs per cultivar grazed the…
Effects of feeding different levels of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) on gut morphology and faecal composition in weanling pigs
The effects of feeding diets containing different levels of raw cowpea on the histomorphometry of the small intestine and faecal composition were investigated in weaned piglets. A total of 100 21-day-old weaners were divided into five equal groups and were…
A preliminary assessment of predictive measures for the expression of weaning efficiency in sheep (Short communication)
Weights and individual feed intake data of 30 Dorper crossbred ewes and their single-born lambs were collected from conception to weaning. The data were used to calculate actual weaning efficiency of the individual ewe-lamb units [AEFF = lamb weaning weight/DDMI…
The use of acid detergent insoluble nitrogen to predict digestibility of rumen undegradable protein of heat processed plant prot
The usefulness of acid detergent insoluble nitrogen (ADIN) to predict digestibility of rumen undegradable protein (UDP-D) of heat processed and unprocessed plant proteins was investigated. A series of drum roasted protein sources, sunflower, cottonseed and soybean oilcake meals, in addition…
A note on the occurrence of mycotoxins in cereals and animal feedstuffs in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa 1984-1993 (Technical Note
During the period 1984-1993 just over 1600 samples of agricultural commodities, comprising maize, compound animal feeds, oil seeds, soyabean, fishmeal and forage were examined for fungi and over 20 mycotoxins using a multi-screen augmented with individual assay. Aflatoxin had the…
Ruminal and postruminal digestion of dietary protein and starch in steers: 1. Effects of protein concentration, degradation of p
Different protein-energy ratios in feedlot diets may effect several combinations of amounts of amino acids and glucose available for absorption in the small intestine. In this regard, the effect of protein concentration and degradation, and energy content of the diet…
Ruminal and postruminal digestion of dietary protein and starch in steers: 2. Multivariate model prediction of non-ammonia nitro
Multivariate prediction models were developed from the results of three divergent trials with multicannulated steers. Diets differed in composition and physical structure. Energy contents varied from 10 to 13 MJ ME/kg DM, starch from 20 to 62%, CP from 102…
The inclusion of herd-year-season by sire interaction in the estimation of genetic parameters in Bonsmara cattle
Weaning weight records of 24 758 Bonsmara calves produced by 503 sires in 30 herds, from 1980 to 1993, were used to examine the importance of the inclusion of herd-year-season by sire interaction in the estimation of genetic parameters. Three…
The plasma composition of karakul lambs fed isocaloric high- and low-fibre diets
Blood samples were withdrawn once weekly from the jugular vein of 10 karakul lambs (ca. 17 kg) for 12 weeks. The lambs were randomly allocated to a treatment and fed either a high-fibre (HF, n = 5) or low-fibre (LF,…
