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 (2025): 0.8 (Q4 of subject category)
Scimago (SJR) (2025): 0.231 (Q3)
Scopus CiteScore (2025): 1.4
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…
Evaluation of growth, carcass and meat quality characteristics of grain-fed Charolais and Charolais x Nguni bulls
The study investigated the effect of crossbreeding Charolais bulls with Nguni cows on carcass and lean yield and meat quality characteristics. The intact Charolais bulls (n=10) served as control group against the Charolais x Nguni (n=10). The Nguni dam proved…
Bayesian estimates of genetic parameters for bodyweights in Mecheri sheep of India
An understanding of genetic information and relationships among traits is required for an improvement programme to be successful. Therefore, this study aims to estimate certain (co)variance components for bodyweights Mecheri sheep collected at various ages. The data consisted of 2…
Effects of protected sodium butyrate and reduced energy content in diets for broiler chickens
Effects of protected sodium butyrate (PSB) in broiler diets with reduced metabolizable energy (ME) content on production performance, intestinal histomorphometry and nutrient metabolizability were evaluated in two experiments. In one experiment, 384 one-day-old male chicks with an average weight of…
Efficacy of Tragopogon graminifolius medicinal powder as an inulin source for laying hens
In an experiment, the efficacy of Tragopogon graminifolius (TG) plant powder as a medicinal supplement for laying hens was investigated. A total of 192 Hy-line (W36) hens that had been laying for 52 to 63 weeks, were used. They were…
Composition, nitrate and nitrite levels, and antioxidant activity of milk from agroecological and conventional systems
Agroecological dairy production systems are gaining attention worldwide. However, few studies have compared the quality of bovine milk produced in these systems with that produced in conventional dairy production systems. In view of the different farming practices, it was expected…
Proportions of protein and concentrate in diets for buffaloes and cows affect neutral detergent fibre degradability
The study was designed to compare low and high levels of protein, namely 90 and 147 g/kg of dietary dry matter, and to evaluate the effect of concentrate proportions on the in situ digestion kinetics of neutral detergent fibre in…
Effect of ferulic acid on growth, digestibility, digestive enzyme activity, immunity and antioxidant status of broilers
This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of ferulic acid (FA) on the growth, nutrient digestibility, digestive enzyme activities, immunity and antioxidant status of broilers. Ninety-six one-day-old male Arbor Acres broilers were randomly divided into two groups with six…
Predicting feed intake from weaning to maturity in South African sheep reared on high-energy grain-based diets
Feed intake models seldom take breed differences into account. This study investigated various approaches to describing and predicting the feed intake of certain breeds (Dohne Merino, Dormer, Dorper, Meatmaster, Merino, South African Mutton Merino (SAMM) and White Dorper). On weaning…
Seasonal performance and behaviour of Nellore cattle in integrated crop-livestock systems
The first objective of this study was to assess Marandu palisade grass in an integrated crop-livestock system (ICL), and two integrated crop-livestock-forest (ICLF) systems. The first ICLF had a single row of eucalyptus (ICLF-1L) and the second had three rows…
Components and specific gravity of colostrum from Anatolian buffalo cows and effects on growth of buffalo calves
This study aimed to determine the relationship between specific gravity (SG) of colostrum and its components, namely dry matter, fat and protein, on the growth of Anatolian buffalo calves. The study used 62 Anatolian buffalo cows and their calves (32…
Metabolizable energy requirements, dry matter intake and feed selection of sable antelope (Hippotragus niger)
The large animal unit, grazing unit, and browsing unit methods for determining carrying capacity of wildlife use only metabolic weight as a factor to determine the energy requirements of game, whereas the large stock unit method uses metabolic weight and…
Sapindus rarak microparticles in feed and drinking water as a substitute for anticoccidials and antibiotics in broilers
This study compared the effects of Sapindus rarak microparticles (SRMs), provided through feed or drinking water, with commercial anticoccidial and antibacterial agents. The goal was to determine which would reduce Eimeria sp. oocysts and Escherichia coli populations and improve chicken…
Enteric methane emission estimates for cattle in Ethiopia from 1994 to 2018
The objective of this study was to estimate enteric methane emissions of the Ethiopian cattle population using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Tier 2 approach. A comprehensive literature review was undertaken to obtain country-specific livestock activity data required…
Horn growth characteristics of sable antelope (Hippotragus niger niger) in South Africa
A study of horn growth characteristics of sable antelope in South Africa investigated the environmental effects of sex, calving year and season on horn development for animals up to 50 months old. Horn growth characteristics were assessed in the age…
Feeding Japanese quail diets supplemented with probiotics and enzymes
This study assessed the effects of dietary supplementation with probiotics and enzymes on performance, blood antioxidant capacity, and cecal short-chain fatty acid concentration. Two hundred one-day-old quail chicks were randomly divided into four groups, each containing 50 chicks. All the…
Comparison of fatty acid properties of Bingol Propolis
The purpose of this study was to determine the chemical and physical properties of samples of propolis collected from apiaries in Genç, Karlıova and Solhan districts of Bingöl Province, which is important in the beekeeping sector in Turkey. In the…
