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
Joint genetic analysis for dairy cattle performance across countries in sub-Saharan Africa
This study assessed the feasibility of across-country genetic evaluation of dairy cattle in sub-Saharan Africa where data on livestock production are scarce. Genetic parameters were estimated for the 305-day milk yield in the first lactation and across five lactations, for…
Supplementing diets for broilers that are low in crude protein and amino acids with protease
The study evaluated supplementation of broiler diets with a protease enzyme. Six hundred Ross 308 female broiler chicks were acquired at one day of age and randomly distributed to three treatments with five replicates of 40 chicks each. The experimental…
Reusing intravaginal progesterone releasing devices for oestrous synchoronization in ewes
In this study, the second use of an intravaginal progesterone-releasing device or controlled intravaginal drug release device (CIDR) was evaluated. After a first use of 11 days, the CIDR was again used for either nine or 12 days with 200…
Effect of including canola meal in diets of slaughter ostriches (Struthio camelus var. domesticus)
Canola meal (CM) is a locally produced protein source that may be less expensive than soybean meal (SBM). This study evaluated the effects of replacing 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% SBM with CM in diets for slaughter ostriches. The…
Alternatives to the use of antibiotics for laying hens in growing phase
This study evaluated the performance, immune response to vaccination, digestive organs, intestinal histomorphometry, and microbiological development in the diet and litter of Isa Brown strains at growing receiving phase alternative additives in the place of antibiotics. Four treatments were arrayed…
Performance of Rhode Island Red, Black Australorp, and Naked Neck crossbreds under alternative production systems
The effects of the production system, breed cross, and their interaction on performance, egg quality, and hatching traits were evaluated. Rhode Island Red and Black Australorp were crossed with Naked Neck chickens (first generation RNN, and BNN, respectively). These crosses…
Premium lamb production of South African sheep breed types under feedlot conditions
An increasing number of producers opt to finish their lambs in on-farm feedlots. Therefore, detailed production information is required to implement precision finishing of lambs of different genotypes. Precision finishing monitors growth, feed intake and efficiency to optimize management. In…
Adding wheat to a pre-partum diet of Holstein cows favours post-partum protein utilization and benefits calcium status
This study evaluated the effects of replacing corn with wheat on the lactation performance, ruminal fermentation, plasma metabolites and hormonal profiles of multiparous Holstein cows. Thirty-four multiparous cows were divided into two equal groups, based on parity, body condition score,…
Arbuscular mycorrhizae inoculation of einkorn wheat affects fatty acid, nutrient and mineral concentrations
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) inoculation, which was administered to increase the quality of einkorn wheat in its fatty acid composition, quality and mineral concentration. Wheat grown from AM inoculated seed…
Hatch traits of artificially incubated ostrich eggs as affected by setting position, angle of rotation and season
High levels of hatching failure in artificially incubated ostrich eggs cause considerable loss of income for the industry. In the 2015 - 2016 breeding seasons, between 846 and 1 549 egg records were used to determine the effect of various…
Analysis of non-genetic and genetic influences underlying the growth of Kajli lambs
Data on 2931 Kajli lambs, born from 2007 to 2018, were used to quantify environmental and genetic effects on growth performance of Kajli sheep. Traits considered for evaluation were birth weight (BWT), 120-day adjusted weight (120DWT), 180-day adjusted weight (180DWT),…
Effects of heat stress on the hepatic transcriptome of yellow-feathered chickens
Heat stress is one of the main environmental factors that hamper the efficiency of poultry production. Heat stress is known to be less harmful to yellow-feathered chickens (YFC) than to commercial broilers, especially in its effect on the relative weight…
Effect of various salt concentrations on the ruminal parameters of goats
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of various concentrations of sodium chloride (NaCl), magnesium chloride (MgCl2), and calcium chloride (CaCl2) on the growth and in vitro fermentation of cellulolytic, glycolytic, and amylolytic microorganisms from the rumen…
Nitrogen balance response to varying levels of dietary protein in slow-growing Windsnyer pigs
Protein requirements for slow-growing pigs have not been defined. The study was designed to determine the relationship between the level of dietary protein and nitrogen balance in slow-growing Windsnyer pigs. Thirty Windsnyer pigs with an initial bodyweight of 34.7 (SD…
Effects of Bacillus subtilis on performance, immune system and gut in Salmonella-challenged broilers
The goal of this study was to compare the effects of Bacillus subtilis and the antibiotic enrofloxacin on growth performance, immune response, intestinal histomorphometry and cecal Salmonella numbers in broilers challenged with S. gallinarum. Salmonella-free chicks (n = 240) were…
Dietary supplementation with chitosan oligosaccharide affects serum lipids and nutrient digestibility in broilers
This research was conducted to determine the effects of supplementation of chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) on the growth performance, blood parameters, carcass traits, fatty acid composition of breast meat, and apparent nutrient digestibility in broiler chickens. A total of 375 one-day-old…
Correlation between chemical composition, EHGE and TME of corn for ducks
Correlations between chemical composition, enzymatic hydrolysate gross energy (EHGE), and true metabolizable energy (TME) of corn for ducks were investigated. Twenty-two corn samples were collected from various regions in 11 provinces of China. The crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE),…
Use of essential oils in combination with fibrolytic enzymes to decrease in vitro ruminal methane production
Exogenous enzymes and essential oils (EOs) have both improved fibre digestion in ruminants, but the effect on ruminal fermentation and methane emission of combining these additives requires further evaluation. Various EOs were used in combination with an enzyme in an…
Quantitative sperm characteristics of Tankwa goats with special reference to hyperactivated motility
Computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) is an automated and objective method of evaluating structural (e.g. morphology) and functional sperm parameters (e.g. motility and hyperactivation). Sperm hyperactivation is essential for successful fertilization and is thus an important aspect in determining the fertility…
Evaluation of a new portable device that measures diameter of animal fibres
Increasing production of animal fibres has increased the need for a portable instrument that measures fibre diameter and associated characteristics with precision and accuracy. This research evaluated a new portable fibre tester (PFT) by measuring the diameter and related characteristics…
