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
Assessment of the reproductive and growth performance of two sheep composites, developed from the Finish Landrace, compared to t
Genes were introduced from the prolific Finnish Landrace sheep breed by crossbreeding with indigenous breeds to produce several composites. In this study, two of these composites were compared to the Dorper in terms of reproductive characteristics and growth. Mean ovulation…
Maximum herd efficiency in meat production. I. Optima for slaughter mass and replacement rate
Profit rate for a meat production enterprise can be decomposed into the unit price for meat and herd efficiency. Optimal slaughter mass maximizes herd efficiency which, at its maximum, can be expressed in terms of a product of…
Maximum herd efficiency in meat production. II. The influence of growth and reproduction
A general method is developed for the evaluation of herd efficiency in terms of efficiencies for growth and reproduction. Almost the only requisite knowledge for the application of this method is the value of the allometric slope between the cost…
Maximum herd efficiency in meat production. III. Feeder–breeder dimorphism
Feeder- breeder dimorphism is advantageous when large offspring for slaughter is obtained from small breeding animals. The effect of feeder- breeder dimorphism on herd efficiency is evaluated for terminal crossbreeding and growth modification by biotechnological or dietary means. Selection criteria…
Maximum herd efficiency in meat production. IV. Crossbreed reproduction and constant slaughter mass
Higher reproduction and lower replacement rates lead to a higher proportion of terminally crossbred offspring to sell. Substantial improvement in herd efficiency can be achieved by improvement in the ratio of replacement rate to reproduction rate by selection or crossbreeding…
Evaluation of the Finnish Landrace X Merino and Merino as dam lines in crosses with five sire lines: slaughter and carcass trait
Carcasses of 122 ram lambs born from Finnsheep X Merino (FM) and Merino (ME) as dam lines, crossed with the Ile de France (IF), SA Mutton Merino (SAMM), Dohne Merino (DM), FM and Merino as sire lines were evaluated for…
Variation in the production and quality of bana grass over the growing season using hand-clipped samples
The seasonal growth pattern and dry matter (DM) yield of bana grass (Pennisetum purpureum x P. americanum) was compared with that of kikuyu (P. clandestinum) under irrigation. In addition, the yield and chemical composition of bana grass at different stages…
Voluntary intake and quality of diet selected by cattle grazing bana grass, kikuyu and forage sorghum
Bana grass (Pennisetum purpureum x P. amerieanum) was compared with kikuyu (P. clandestinum) and forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) with respect to quality of samples ;elected by four oesophageally fistulated steers. Hand-cut samples of the three forages were also compared…
Studies on the chemical composition and digestible energy content of South African grain sorghum
The experiment was conducted (i) to compare the chemical and physical composition of grain sorghum produced at different locations, (ii) to compare the digestible energy (DE) content of different grain sorghum cultivars produced at different locations, and (iii) to evaluate…
Environmental and genetic trends in clean fleece mass, live mass and fibre diameter in selection and control flocks involving a
This study was undertaken to investigate the genetic stability of an unselected Control Group of South African Merino sheep and genetic change in a flock selected for increased clean fleece mass (Selection Group) under the same environmental conditions. Data regarding…
Untreated, urea-enriched and thermal-ammoniated oat grain as supplementary feed for pregnant and lactating South African Mutton
African Mutton Merino ewes as supplementary feed during late pregnancy and lactation, while grazing wheat stubble at 2 ewes/ha during 1986 and 1987. Blood glucose, urea, calcium, magnesium and zinc levels of the ewes were monitored in 1986 only. Ewes…
The relationship between body mass and fertility in Bonsmara breeding females
Data consisting of 445 calving records from Bonsmara breeding females were studied in order to establish relationships between body mass and conception. Significant relationships between body mass at the start of the mating period and percentage conception were established by…
Linear type traits in a Merino flock subjected to selection for increased clean fleece mass and an unselected Control Flock (Sho
Data from 267 individuals were used to. investigate factors influencing 13 linear type traits (scored on a 1-50 point scale) in progeny of a Merino flock subjected to 20 years of selection for increased clean fleece mass (Selection Group, 116…
Estimates of genetic parameters and genetic trend for fur traits in a Karakul stud flock
Heritability estimates were obtained by using a unitrait derivative-free animal model REML programme. Estimates of heritability for curl type (h 2 = 0.46) and pattern score (h 2 = 0.27) followed expectations as derived from literature. The estimate for hair…
Chemical composition and nutritive value of irrigated tall fescue pasture for dairy cows
Irrigated tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea: Schreb) was evaluated over four seasons, in the spring and autumn, and was able to maintain a milk production of 15.5 kg FCM/d for medium-sized(550 kg) Friesian cows in mid-lactation, under a lax grazing programme…
Quantitative aspects of semen imports for South African dairy breeds
Dairy cattle semen imported from January 1979 to June 1989 consisted of 72% Holstein-Friesian, 13.6% Jersey, 11.5% Ayrshire and 2.8% Guernsey semen. There has been a significant increase in the importation of Holstein-Friesian semen and, to a lesser extent, in…
Application of Householder`s transformations and the QL algorithm to REML estimation of variance components
Restricted maximum likelihood (REML) is widely regarded as the preferred procedure for estimating variance components in animal breeding problems. The size of the coefficient matrix, however, often leads to computational difficulties and many simplified algorithms, including diagonalization, have been proposed…
DNA polymorphisms in the bovine thyroglobulin gene (Short communication)
DNA polymorphisms that can be detected by restriction endonucleases are valuable in population and linkage studies. In this manuscript we have reported on the occurrence of DNA polymorphisms in a defined region of the bovine thyroglobulin gene. We have shown…
The influence of dietary energy concentration and feed intake level on feedlot steers 1. Digestibility of diets and rumen parame
Three ruminally cannulated mature steers were fed, in a crossover design, diets with concentrate to roughage (C: R) ratios of 80: 20, 55: 45 and 30: 70, twice a day (09: 00 and 15: 30) in a predetermined feed intake…
The influence of dietary energy concentration and feed intake level on feedlot steers 2. Feed intake, live mass-gain, gut fill,
A total of 108 medium frame weaner steers, divided into 9 groups of 12 each with mean group masses of 200 kg, were used to determine the effect of three concentrate to roughage (C: R) ratios (80: 20, 55: 45,…
