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
Polymorphism of growth hormone gene and its association with body measurement traits in Boer goat does
The study examined single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the growth hormone gene (GH1) in Boer goat does and their relationship with body measurement traits, namely bodyweight, body length, heart girth, rump height, rump width, ear length, cannon circumference, and head…
Physicochemical and morphometric characterization of eggs from emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae)
There is a dearth of scientific information about the physicochemical characteristics of eggs from ratite birds including emus. Thus, an experiment was carried out with 19 laying emu ((Dromaius novaehollandiae) hens, maintained in cages, and divided into two groups according…
Effects of breed and fattening system on fatty acid and chemical composition of meat from male lambs
The purpose of this study was to examine the fatty acid and chemical composition of the Longissimus dorsi (LD) from male Tuj and Hemşin lambs reared in extensive, semi-intensive and intensive feeding systems. At the end of 90 days eight…
The impact of dietary protein content and lighting programme on breast meat yield in broiler chickens
Effects of the interaction between lighting programme and dietary protein content on broiler performance and meat yield were investigated. The hypothesis was that low breast meat yield from birds managed under short day lengths could be improved by increasing dietary…
Quality of ram semen cryopreserved in egg yolk extender supplemented with myricetin
The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of the antioxidant myricetin to protect ovine spermatozoa during freezing-thawing. Five semen pools, obtained from four rams, were diluted and frozen in Tris-egg yolk extender (5% glycerol) supplemented with myricetin…
Effects of flushing and various doses of β-Carotene and vitamin E applications on the reproductive performance of ewes
The aim of this study was to determine whether fertility could be enhanced in Kıvırcık ewes during the anoestrous period by flushing or by administering an injectable (Ovostim) containing β-Carotene and vitamin E. Three-year-old Kıvırcık ewes (n = 99) were…
Bone, microbiological and intestinal characteristics of piglets fed diets containing Lithothamnium calcareum
The aim of this study was to assess the effect of calcitic seaweed (CS), calcitic limestone (CL) and monodicalcium phosphate (DP) fed to piglets in various combinations on their gastrointestinal tract and bones. A total of 128 piglets (21 days…
Gene expression at different cell stages of in vitro-fertilized bovine embryos
The birth rate of embryos produced in vitro (IVF) is still lower than that of embryos produced in vivo. Three major steps for the success of the IVF technique are maturation of immature oocytes, fertilization of matured oocytes, and culture…
Prevalence and economic significance of Hypoderma bovis in Ardahan
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of cattle infected by Hypoderma, a parasite that causes great economic losses in the world, especially in the Ardahan region. A total of 31 095 cattle skins were randomly selected…
An exogenous fibrolytic enzyme mixture enhances in vitro ruminal degradability of red grape pomace by-product
Usefulness of red grape pomace (GP) by-product in ruminant rations is restricted by its high fibre content. Pre-treatment with exogenous carbohydrases may partly resolve this problem. Therefore, the effects of various levels of an exogenous fibrolytic enzyme mixture (Viscozyme® L)…
Influence of graded level of salt and maturation times on quality traits of beef and pork sun-dried meat: A test pilot
The goal of this study was to assess the qualitative and sensorial characteristics of beef and pork sun-dried meat (SDM) with different salt (NaCl) levels (6%, 8% and 10%) and curing times (30 and 40 h). Samples from the beef…
Dry sugarcane yeast and urea could replace soybean meal in the diet of buffalo heifers
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of replacing soybean meal (SBM) with increasing levels (0%, 33%, 67%, and 100%) of sugarcane yeast and urea on the intake, performance, and feeding behaviour of buffalo heifers. Twenty Murrah…
Rumen microbial diversity of Bonsmara cattle using amplicon sequencing during a 120-day growth trial
Improved understanding of the microbial populations during intensive feeding of feedlot cattle holds potential for optimizing production efficiency. Ionophores are used to increase the production and efficiency of ruminants and are commonly used in South African feedlots. Bonsmara bull calves…
Effect of additives on the post-thaw quality of Aksaray Malaklı dog semen
The goal of this study was to determine effects of trehalose (T) and Trolox (TX) additives on post-thaw viability of canine sperm after freezing. The sperm-rich portions of ejaculates obtained from 15 dogs were divided into three aliquots, which were…
Effect of acute heat stress on production performance and egg quality in four strains of chickens
The objective of this study was to investigate differences between four strains of chickens on laying hen productivity and egg quality under acute heat stress (AHS). The study consisted of 44 hens from each of the Fayoumi (FY), Golden Sabahia…
Serological and molecular identification of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis and associated risks in bovine
Discrepancies in sensitivity and specificities of tests (enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) and tuberculin skin test (TST)), prevalence, and potential risk factors associated with Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) of bovine were hypothesized to affect its control. Keeping PCR as the gold…
Effects of feeding pellets, live earthworms and tilapia on the growth of African sharptooth catfish fingerlings
The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of feeding live earthworms (Eisenia foetida) (Savigny, 1826) (Musyoka et al., 2020) and tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) (Peters, 1852) (Russell et al., 2012) on the growth rate of African sharptooth catfish…
Diversity and taxonomic identification of bacteria in the rumen of zebu cattle fed various diets
In this study bacterial populations were identified in the rumen of zebu cattle fed various diets and classified taxonomically with metagenomic sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Twenty-four (24) heifers were used in a completely randomized experimental design to test…
Protected lysine in diets for 25–100 kg pigs
The digestible lysine requirements for fattening pigs have not been established clearly. The objective of this trial was to determine a level of protected lysine in pig diets that was adequate for growth performance, carcass characteristics, and plasma urea nitrogen…
Slaughter, carcass and egg traits of domestic geese raised in the Aegean region of Turkey
This study was conducted to determine the slaughter, carcass, and egg quality characteristics of domestic geese reared in Uşak, Afyon, and Kütahya provinces of the Aegean region. Ninety-six eggs were obtained from 38¬- to 44-week-old geese from four locations in…
