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
Artificial insemination versus natural breeding in a multi-breed beef herd under intensive management
A total of 828 crossbred beef and dual-purpose type cows were allocated to three herds which were bred either artificially, artificially followed by natural service or by natural service only. Conception rates were 72,9; 88,2 and 94,3 % respectively. The…
Whole maize versus ground maize in fattening diets for beef steers (Short communications)
Two groups of nine animals each, were fed either a conventional diet based on ground maize or whole maize and roughage protein - additive - mineral pellets in a cafeteria system. Both groups were fed ad libitum for a period…
A note on the insertion of rumen cannulae in pregnant ewes (Short communications)
Modifications to a simple and rapid technique for the insertion of rumen cannulae in sheep are described. The modified technique, executed in three phases, was developed to facilitate the fistulation and insertion of rumen cannulae in pregnant ewes, especially during…
Feeding standards for ruminants: A progress report of research under controlled conditions in South Africa
The last 20 years of research in South Africa on feeding standards is reviewed. A major contribution to quantitating energy requirements for growth has been the advent of growth-curve analysis which enable accurate pattern description of genotype and dietary responses…
Telingsnavorsing in Suid-Afrika
Animal breeding research in South Africa. During the 1979/80 financial year R310 million or 0,64 % of the GNP was spent on research. Of this amount 89,28 % was spent on research in the natural sciences and 10,72 % on…
Nasionale beplanning en koördinering van veekundige navorsing in Suid-Afrika
National planning and coordination of animal research in South Africa. The Department of Agriculture makes the biggest financial inputs into animal research in South Africa. It is therefore appropriate to examine the organization and objective management system of the Department…
Future aspects of micromanipulation with embryos for cattle breeding
Embryo micromanipulation techniques and their potential genetic impact in dairy cattle are discussed. In addition, some aspects of gene transfer are mentioned. Only the technique of splitting bovine embryos and the subsequent transfer of half-embryos has reached a stage which…
Voedingsnavorsing met die weidende dier
Nutrition research with grazing ruminants. Native pasture is still the main source of feed supply for the sheep and beef cattle industries. Apparently an inadequate intake of digestible nutrients puts a limitation on animal production. Due to the seasonal pattern…
The division of energy during growth
Three wether lambs of the Mutton Merino type were kept confined in metabolism cages confined to either a calorimeter or a structure resembling the plant, from about birth to about 36 weeks. Measurements over regular intervals with aid of the…
Hoëvet-weipoeier in kalfmelkvervangers: b) die rol van proteïn : energieverhoudings
The effect of protein : energy ratio's in milk replacers based on whey powder as the main energy source was studied. In a digestion-balance trial 9 milk replacers containing decreasing levels of crude protein but increasing levels of high fat…
Hoëvet-weipoeier in kalfmelkvervangers: (a) Verteerbaarheid en benutting van nutriente
The optimum level of inclusion of high fat whey (HFW) in calf milk replacers was investigated. In a set of 9 treatments 45 Friesian bull calves( 5 per treatment) were randomly allocated and subjected to a digestion-balance tr al. A…
Die voeding van skape op Dohne-suurveld
In order to develop improved lamb production systems off the Dohne Sourveld qualitative and quantitative changes were brought about by either, (l) veld fertilization. (2) mowing or, (3) sod-seeding of lucerne. The production response of lactating ewes which received either…
The relationship between tannic acid content and metabolizable energy concentration of some sorghum cultivar
The apparent and true metabolizable energy concentrations of 22 cultivars of sorghum grains, differing in their tannic ac id content, were determined by feeding samples of the different varieties to adult roosters. A highly significant negative correlation was found to…
Influence of dietary energy concentration on protein deposition of ad lib fed growing pigs
Five diets, containing equal amounts (23 %) of crude protein, and different energy concentrations, ranging from 11,5 to 17,0 MJ ME/kg DM, were fed ad lib to 52 Landrace X LargeWhite barrows. Dietary energy content was manipulated by replacing maize…
Die optimum insluitingspeil van verhitte volvet sojaboonmeel en lisien in varkgroeidiëte
Diets containing 3 levels of heated full fat soya bean meal (15, 18 and 21%) each supplemented at 5 lysine levels (0,70; 0,75; 0,80; 0,85 and 0.90%) were fed to 60 porkers (30 gilts and 30 boars) in diets, formulated…
Phenotypic and genetic aspects of production in the Dohne merino 1. The influence of non-genetic factors on production traits
Observations of 5 production traits on 4 000 individuals in the Dohne Merino Development Programme were used to estimate correction factors for the influence of age of dam, type of birth (single or twin) and sex of lamb on 5…
Phenotypic and genetic aspects of production in the Dohne Merino II Estimation of heritabilities of production traits
Production data of 366 individuals in the Dohne Merino Development programme at the Dohne Agricultural Research Institute, were used for the estimation of the heritabilities of 15 production traits. Halfsib analyses were applied to data corrected for identifiable environmental factors…
The quantifying of flue quality in ostrich plumes with special reference to the fat content and cuticular structure of the Barbu
The chemically determined fat content (ether extract) and the cuticular structure of the fibres (barbules) of ostrich plumes were related to the 5 standardized categories of subjectively evaluated fatty appearance as used in practice. With regard to the quality traits…
Stress and adaptation in beef heifers . 1. Effect of pen conditions on adrenal cortex activity of Shorthorn, Afrikaner and Bon
Eighteen beef heifers, representing the Bos taurus (Shorthorn), Bos indicus (Afrikaner) and intermediate (Bonsmara) types, were confined to a pen with floor space of 4,6 m2 per heifer. A similar number of heifers on the veld served as a control…
