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
The influence of various production processes on the microbiology of manufactured meat products
In a survey at a meat processing factory agar sausage samples were taken at different positions on various production lines of several manufactured products viz. bacon, pork sausages, vienna sausages, russian sausages and hams. Mesophiles (37 °C/24 h) as well…
The synchronisation of oestrus in sheep. 1. Dosage and time of prostaglandin administration following progestagen pretreatment
In order to overcome the refractory period of the ovary to c1oprostenol (ICI 80996) treatment (prior to day 4 and subsequent to day 14 of the oestrous cycle), ewes were treated with intravaginal progestagen sponges for eight days and injected…
The synchronisation of oestrus in sheep. 2. Dose effect of prostaglandin in the double injection regime
In order to overcome the refractory period of the corpus luteum to prostaglandin (day 15 of the cycle through oestrus to day 3 of the next cycle), two injections each consisting of either 31,25 μg; 62,5 μg; 125 μg or…
Effect in ewes of oestrogen priming and GnRH on LH release and luteal function during early lactation in spring
The effects of oestrogen priming and GnRH administration on the release of LH and on luteal function were investigated using 66 spring-lambing S.A. Mutton Merino ewes in early lactation. Seven randomly selected groups of ewes received either (i) 30 μg…
Crossbreeding with Africander dam as basis. 2.Weaning performance of progeny of various sire breeds
Weaning mass was studied for 753 calves out of Africander cows by Africander, Brahman, Charolais, Hereford and Simmentaler sires. Crossbreds performed 11,1 per cent to 11,8 per cent better than Africander controls. Charolais progeny had a significantly greater weaning mass…
Crossbreeding with Africander dam as basis. 3. Post-weaning growth performance of prgeny of various sire-breeds
Post-weaning growth performance was studied for 342 steers out of Africander cows and by Africander, Brahman, Charolais, Hereford and Simmentaler sires. In a system of intensive fattening, the latter three Bos taurus sire-breed progeny-groups performed strikingly better than the former…
Fineness and concentrate to low quality roughage ratio of complete diets for dairy cows. 1. Intake and digestibility under ad li
Thirty six lactating cows were used in a trial with a partially balanced change-over design to determine the effect of the fineness of roughage and concentrate to roughage ratio on intake and digestibility. Nine rations were used with combinations of…
Fineness and concentrate to low quality roughage ratio of complete diets for dairy cows. 2.Milk production and composition
Thirty six lactating cows were used in a trial where low quality maize straw was used as a roughage source in complete diets. The effects of fineness of roughage and concentrate to roughage ratio on milk production and milk composition…
Protein and/or energy supplementation of lactating beef cows during the early summer period in northern Natal
An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects on the reproductive performance of lactating beef cows of supplementation with protein and/or energy during a 100 day period. Over three years the average recalving percentage for the cows receiving energy rich-,…
Hormone levels in peripheral plasma of the Afrikaner cow 1. Progesterone and luteinizing hormone levels during the oestrous cycl
Concentrations of progesterone and luteinizing hormone were determined in peripheral blood plasma during the oestrus cycle of three non-lactating Afrikaner cows. Blood samples were drawn daily during the luteal phase (Day 3-16) and every 8 hours from Day l7 to…
Hormone levels in peripheral plasma of the Afrikaner cow II Progesterone and total unconjugated oestrogen levels during late ge
Progesterone and total unconjugated oestrogen concentrations in the peripheral blood of 4 Afrikaner cows during late gestation and parturition were determined by RIA. From l2-18 days prepartum, progerone levels ranged .from 8.4 to 13,0 ng/ml and subsequently declined to 3,7-8,2…
Hormone levels in the peripheral blood of the Afrikaner cow III Progesterone levels during the post partum period
Following parturition blood samples were collected daily from 5 mature lactating cows until the first post partum oestrous period. Plasma progesterone concentration as determined by RIA was applied to evaluate post partum ovarian activity. Parturition to first oestrus varied from…
The performance of a beef breeding herds subjected to continuous mating in the valley bushveld of the Eastern Cape
In a five-year study made on beef cows ranched in the Fish River valley of the Eastern Cape with bulls being run continuously with the cows, an average calving percentage of 80,3 was achieved. Yearly calving percentages were positively correlated…
Die invloed van twee veebeladings op die samestelling van die dieet en inname van skape in ’n drie-kampstelsel in die sentrale O
The influence of two stocking rates on diet composition and intake of sheep in a three camp rotational grazing system in the central Orange Free State A study was made of the nutritive value of native pasture for sheep in…
Die invloed van cultivar, omgewing en bemesting op sekere chemiese eienskappe van sonneblomsaad
The study was conducted firstly to establish the influence of cultivar and environment on the protein-, amino acid and ether extractable oil concentration of sunflower seed and secondly to study the influence of soil pH and fertilization on the protein…
