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
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…
The relationship between size and efficiency in the beef cow
The efficiencies of small (<420 kg), medium (455 - 490 kg) and large (>525 kg) size grade Africander cows were compared for reproductive performance of cow, survival rates, growth of progeny and overall profitability. Cow efficiency index (C.E.I.) calculated by…
Automatic collection of bovine blood samples
A technique is described which allows automatic collection of jugular venous blood from tethered cows. In this system, blood is pumped continuously from an intravenous cannula which has a double lumen while an anticoagulant is pumped through the second opening…
Utilization of protein from opaque -2 Maize by chicken and rat
Opaque -2 maize gave significantly better nett protein utilisation (NPU) values than normal maize varieties in trials performed with rats and chickens. Altogether seven varieties of maize were tested of which three carried the opaque -2 gene and these proved…
Die vitamien A-status van beeste op Elsenburg
The vitamin a-status of cattle at Elsenburg The B-carotene concentrations in feeds and feed mixtures used for calf- and heifer feeding were determined and a survey of the B-carotene and vitamin A concentrations in the plasma and livers of calves…
Die invloed van stikstofbemesting op die opbrengs en voedingswaarde van Eragrostis curvula-hooi
The effect of nitrogen fertilization on the yield and feeding value of Eragrostis curvula hay: Twenty-eight fistulated Merino wethers were used to investigate the feeding value of fertilized E. curvula. The different grasses were grown after fertilization with nitrogen varying…
The voluntary feed intake of dry and lactating cows on natural pasture
A comparative study on the voluntary feed intake of lactating and dry cows under natural grazing conditions was undertaken with two breeds the Simmenthaler and the Africander. The trial was carried out over a 6 month period from November 1971…
Continuous stall feeding of pineapple silage as the only source of roughage to dairy cattle
Dairy animals received silage made from pineapple plants as their only source of roughage for a prolonged period. Results indicated that this reduced both milk yield and live mass and resulted in abnormalities such as rough hair coat and pica…
Voerstelsels vir superlamproduksie
Eighty Dohne Merino lambs were divided into 4 groups to investigate the effect of different succulent feeds and concentrates given to ewes and lambs on veld grazing. From the time of lambing ewes received the following supplementary rations per head…
The influence of breed and plane of nutrition on the chronology of teeth eruption in sheep
Dorper and Blackhead Persian ewes and ewe lambs were grazed on veld during the day and fed varying amounts of cottonseed meal when kraaled at night. The teeth were examined weekly when the sheep were weighed and eruption of permanent…
Stress-induced release of prolactin in cycling and anoestrous ewes, and in wethers
Since stress has been shown to influence prolactin release in sheep, the secretion of this hormone during the oestrous cycle of the ewe was re-evaluated. At intervals of two hours, for a total period of 40 hours, blood samples were…
Luteinizing hormone (LH) and prolactin levels at oestrus following synchronisation with progestogens in the ewe
The pattern of luteinizing hormone (LH) and prolactin release following the synchronisation of oestrus with progesterone or SC-9880 was studied. Of the 10 ewes treated with progesterone three did not exhibit oestrus. Where oestrus was synchronised with SC-9880 the preovulatory…
The effect of pellet volume, dilution rates prefreezing and at thawing, and of thawing temperature on the survival and acrosome-
Three experiments were conducted to examine the effects of dilution rates prefreezing and at thawing, pellet volume, and of thawing temperature on the survival and acrosome-morphology of ram spermatozoa. Semen was diluted with a Tris-giucose diluent and frozen in pellet…
The effect of freezing method on the survival of ram spermatozoa
Five factorial experiments were conducted to examine the effects of different freezing methods on the survival of ram spermatozoa following the freeze-thawing procedures Semen was frozen in pellet form and in straws on either dry ice or in liquid nitrogen…
