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
Die invloed van sinchronisasie van die estrusperiode, DMS-toediening en prikkelvoeding op: estrus en besetting van Suid-Afrikaan
The influence of synchronisation of the oestrus period, PMSG administration and flushing on: oestrous and conception of South African mutton merino ewes: The effects of MAP + PMSG and of flushing, during the breeding season, on oestrus and conception were…
Reduced sensitivity to oestrogen in ewes continuously associated with rams
Oestradiol benzoate (ODB) injection of ewes isolated from rams for three months during the anoestrous season resulted in a significantly greater (P<0,001) incidence of oestrus than in anoestrous ewes not isolated from rams. Mating was initiated after a shorter latent…
Die gebruik van seleksie-indeks by Merinoskape
The use of selection indices for merino sheep: An index selection scheme for Merino sheep is proposed. It is recommended that for the preliminary selection of young replacement material all available animals should be classed subjectively for breed characteristics and…
The inheritance of hair length in Karakul sheep with special reference to its relationship with skin thickness and hair thicknes
The inheritance of measured hair length was studied in a population of 1595 karakul lambs sired by 100 rams. An estimate of 0,35 (10,08)was obtained for heritability (h2) of hair length. Phenotypic and genetic correlations between measured values of hair…
The effect of ruminal and duodenal application of different levels of calcium and phosphorus to sheep on semi-purified diets
The effect of different levels and combinations of Ca and P consisting of nine treatments as CaoPo, Car, Pr, ~, Pd, (CaP)r, CadPr, (CaP)d and CarPd were investigated with an unrestricted semi-purified diet (r= to the rumen; d = to…
The utilization of milk diets with different fat content by the preruminant calf 1. Digestibility and metabolizability of the d
Twenty-eight Friesland bull calves, four days of age, were allotted to four groups and were offered milk diets which supplied 147 g to 444 g butterfat per calf per day for 21 days. Mean daily ME intakes increased from 10,6…
The voluntary feed intake of three breeds of sheep on natural pasture
A comparative study on voluntary feed intake during different months of the year under natural grazing conditions, was conducted with three sheep breeds namely, the Merino, S. Afr. Mutton Merino and Dorper. The selective grazing behaviour of the Merino and…
Proteïenbronne in die rantsoene van groeiende varke 1. ‘n Vergelyking tussen vismeel en verhitte volvet sojaboonmeel
Protein sources in the diets of growing pigs. 1. A comparison between fish meal and heated full-fat soyabean mealTwo trials, one with porkers and one with baconers were conducted to determine the influence of heated full-fat soyabean meal as protein…
Some observations on the effect of grass-seed penetration on the growth and carcase quality of weaner lambs
Approximately 50% of Rhodesia is covered by veld types of which Heteropogon contortus constitutes a significant proportion of the grazing. If' sheep other than the smooth coated indigenous types are introduced in these areas, the seeds of H. contortus. through…
Plasma luteinizing hormone levels in ewes failing to exhibit oestrus during lactation and in ewes isolated from rams
The plasma LH level of ewes which did not exhibit oestrus during lactation was not significantly different from the inter-oestrus level of ewes showing regular oestrus. The LH level in the plasma of ewes kept isolated from rams was significantly…
Studies on levels of luteinizing hormone and prolactin in serum of cycling and anoestrous cows
Blood levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) were measured, using a radioimmunoassay, during the oestrous cycle and during the postpartum period in 14 Brangus and 5 Friesland cows. Except during pre-ovulatory surges, basal blood levels of LH ranged between 0,2 and…
Evidence for a functional role of the pineal in bovines
The possibility that the pineal exerts a regulatory influence on the gonadotrophic function of the adenohypophysis was investigated using in vitro techniques. Additionally, since a direct negative feedback of pituitary LH onto the hypothalamus occurred when adenohypophysial and hypothalamic tissues…
Synchronization of ovulation in beef herds: Improved conception rate after and interrupted course of progesterone administratio
The oestrous cycles of cows and/or heifers were synchronized in six herds by the intramuscular administration of progesterone. In order to exclude those cows that were in the latter third of their cycles at the onset of treatment, the herds…
The influence of maternal handicap on growth and reproduction in sheep
Ewes with single lambs received either sufficient feed to maintain body condition during lactation (high plane) or the quantity of feed was reduced so as to result in an average loss of approximately 20% in body mass (low plane). The…
Influence of mass gain during gestation on milk production of ewes
Two comparable groups of three- to four-year-old Dorper-type ewes were fed a protein-rich supplement in addition to veld grazing to make either small mass gains (6,56%) or substantial mass gains (14,45%) during the gestation period. The quantitative milk production was…
The response of muscle cells during compensatory growth in rats
This study was concerned with the cellular growth of muscle tissue in rats during the early stages of recovery from undernutrition. Groups of animals were undernourished either pre- or post-weaning and realimentated on either unrestricted intakes or on a restricted…
