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.
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Clarivate Journal Impact Factor (2025): 0.8 (Q4 of subject category)
Scimago (SJR) (2025): 0.231 (Q3)
Scopus CiteScore (2025): 1.4
Non-genetic factors influencing growth and fleece traits in Afrino sheep
Data, consisting of 4235 lamb records, obtained from the Foundation Afrino Sheep Stud at the Carnarvon Experimental Station, were used to investigate factors influencing birth weight, weaning weight, monthly body weight from five to 12 months, body weight at 18…
Water intake and consumption in sheep differing in growth potential and adaptability
Water intake, efficiency and consumption of 30 growing individually fed Blackhead Persian, Dorper and South African Mutton Merino (Mutton Merino) ewe lambs were investigated. Average daily water intakes were 2.2, 4.6 and 5.4 litre for the Blackhead Persian, Dorper and…
Influence of different housing systems on the performance of hens of four laying strains
Four laying strains were evaluated with regard to henday egg production, egg mass, feed conversion, mortality, Haugh units, shell thickness and percentage soiled, cracked and broken eggs produced under a battery, floor house and free-range system. This was done to…
Effects of infused methionine, lysine and rumen-protected methionine derivatives on nitrogen retention and wool growth of Merino
Nitrogen (N) retention and wool growth rate (WGR) responses to various amino acids and derivatives as well as protein sources were determined with six ruminally and six abomasally fistulated Merino wethers in two balanced cross-over design experiments. The six treatments…
Performance of beef steers on Smuts finger grass and Nile grass pasture in northern Natal 1. Effect of overwintering level and s
In each of three consecutive years (1987/88 to 1989/90), 108 weaner steers (average live mass = 192.5 and standard deviation = 1.9 kg) were divided into three groups of 36 steers and fed to achieve growth rates of 0, 0.3…
Energy supplementation of yearling steers at different stocking rates on Nile grass pasture
Forty-eight yearling steers (average live mass = 192.8 and standard deviation = 3.7 kg) were blocked by mass and breed [Sussex (n = 32) and Simmentaler (n = 16)] and within blocks allocated randomly to one of four treatments (supplementation…
Effect of roasting on ruminal degradation, intestinal digestibility and absorbable amino acid profile of cottonseed and soybean
The effect of heat processing on ruminal degradation, intestinal digestibility (UDP-D) and absorbable amino acid (AA) profile of cottonseed oilcake (CSOC) and soybean oilcake (SBOC) was calculated. CSOC and SBOC were roasted in a drum roaster at six temperature settings…
Ruminant nutrition research in South Africa during the decade 1985/1995
Research on ruminant nutrition in South Africa is reviewed for the decade 1985/1995. The review covers the following topics: feed requirements and forage preferences in relation to carrying capacity, intake measurement and control/prediction, pasture utilization, protein digestion and metabolism, supplementation…
Relationships between the water solubility of roughage dry matter and certain chemical characteristics (Short Communication)
The relationships (during summer) between the water solubility of Cymbopogon-Themeda veld grass, Digitaria eriantha (finger grass) and Medicago sativa (lucerne) and their respective contents of crude protein (CP), acid-detergent fibre (ADF) and neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) were determined in samples which…
Somatotropin physiology — a review
The continuing search for improved efficiency has led to the introduction of exogenous growth and lactation promotants to enhance traditional animal production systems. Various species-limited somatotropins have been synthesized by means of recombinant gene technology, thereby allowing milk production in…
Preferred components for the construction of a new simulation model of growth, feed intake and nutrient requirements of growing
Components for a simulation model are described to predict feed intake, amino acid requirements and body composition changes over time on the basis of the inherent potential protein growth rate of pigs varying in genotype. The potential protein growth rate…
Factors influencing growth traits in the Nguni cattle stud at Bartlow Combine
Data collected from Nguni calves born at the Bartlow Combine Breeding Station were used to investigate factors affecting live weights at birth (1960-1991), 205 days (1960-1991), 365 days (1974-1990) and 540 days (1975-1990) of age. Sire, year of birth, sex…
Effect of melatonin implants, flushing and teasing on the reproductive performance of spring-mated Dohne Merino ewes
The effect of melatonin implants, flushing and teaser rams on the reproductive performance of spring-mated Dohne Merino ewes was investigated. The ewes (n = 534) were randomly allotted to four treatments, namely (1) no treatment (control), (2) melatonin implants (melatonin),…
Reproduction of Merino sheep subjected to divergent selection on maternal values for lambs weaned per ewe joined (Short Communi
Two Merino lines were established in 1988 and were subjected to divergent selection for maternal ranking values on lambs weaned/ ewe joined (Lw/Ej). Replacements with high values were selected in the Reproduction `+` line, while progeny of low ranking ewes…
Factors influencing recalving rate in lactating beef cows in the sweet dry bushveld of northern Transvaal (Short communication)
Factors influencing the recalving rate of 2 165 lactating beef cows of four pure breeds (Afrikaner, Hereford, Bonsmara and Simmentaler) and three cross-bred types were investigated on the Mara Research Station between 1972 and 1982. Average recalving rate was 88.3%…
Synchronization of oestrus in sheep: Use of different doses of progestagen outside the normal breeding season (Short communicati
One hundred and thirty Merino ewes were used to test the efficiency of different doses of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MAP) progestagen to synchronize oestrus outside the breeding season. Three treatments, consisting of intravaginal progestagen doses (60 mg, 40 mg, and halved…
Effect of heat treatment of whole cottonseed on in vitro, in situ and in vivo ruminant digestion characteristics
The in vitro ammonia production and ruminal in situ disappearance of dry matter, organic matter, protein and ether extract of heat-treated whole cottonseed were determined. Abomasal flow of nitrogen and ether extract and terminal ileal flow of lysine and methionine…
Effect of whole cottonseed, heat-treated whole cottonseed and whole cottonseed plus lanolin on milk production and composition
The study was conducted to determine the effect of whole cottonseed (WCS), heat-treated whole cottonseed (HWCS), and whole cottonseed plus lanolin (WCS + Q on feed intake, milk production and milk composition. Eight Holstein heifers in early lactation were fed…
