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
Effects of different feeding regimes on growth performance, intake, digestibility, and ruminal metabolic and morphological characteristics in Awassi lambs
The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of different feeding regimes on the growth performance, nutrient intake, apparent digestibility, and ruminal metabolic and morphological characteristics of Awassi lambs. A total of 96 lambs (initial age: 10 ±…
Development and characterisation of a tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) fish burger enriched with soy okara
This study aimed to develop and characterise a fish burger made from mechanically separated tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) meat and incorporating soy okara as a functional ingredient. Four fish burger formulations were developed and the physicochemical characteristics (moisture, ash, lipid, protein,…
Dietary supplementation with zinc oxide nanoparticles improves growth performance and gut microbiota of broiler chickens reared in the tropics
This study evaluated the effect of zinc oxide (ZnO) on growth performance, serum biochemistry, and gut microbial counts of broiler chickens reared in a tropical environment. A total of 120 one-day-old broiler chicks were assigned using a completely randomized design…
Effect of long-term, exogenous administration of oxytocin on milk production, composition, somatic cell count, and progesterone in postpartum Nili-Ravi buffalo
This study sought to explore the effect of the administration of long-term, exogenous oxytocin on buffalo milk. In this study, newly-calved postpartum buffaloes (Nili-Ravi) (n = 24) were divided equally into three groups: (control without oxytocin – CON, 10 i.u…
Prediction of milk yield using visual images of cows through deep learning
The objective of the study was to determine, through deep learning, the predictability of milk yield from a cow's side-view, rear-view image, or a combination of the two. The data size of 1 238 image pairs (the side-view and rear-view…
Natural additives as a source of antioxidants improve lipid oxidation, antioxidant activity, and shelf-life of beef
Forty young bulls were finished in feedlot with diets that contained different dosages of a combination of several natural additives (NA), i.e., clove essential oil, cashew and castor oil, and rumen-protected eugenol, vanillin, and thymol. The animals were randomized in…
Carcass yields in the main Algerian populations of camels: Sahraoui, Targui, steppe camel, and Reguibi (Camelus dromedarius L., 1758)
The carcass yield varies from one animal species to another and depends on various factors, such as the age of the animal, its health condition, diet, and activity level. The main objective of this study was to determine the yield…
Early lactational response to rumen-protected methionıne supplementation in dairy buffalo fed forage-based diets
This study determined the effects of rumen-protected methionine (RPMet) supplementation on milk yield and milk composition in early lactation dairy buffalo fed a forage-based diet. A total of 20 lactating, multiparous Anatolia water buffalo were used, with a mean initial…
Citric acid in the diet of male Venda chickens: Effects on carcass characteristics and physico-chemical attributes
This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of citric acid (CA) on carcass characteristics and physico-chemical attributes of male Venda chickens. A total of 200 male, one-day-old Venda chicks were distributed in a completely randomized design with four treatments…
PCV2: The unexpected threat – How fish infection can transform industries and society: A pilot study
Integrated fish and livestock farming is an ancient practice and is used to increase production per unit area and reduce the environmental impact caused by untreated animal excreta. Although integrated aquaculture has been used in some countries, including Brazil, this…
Effects of Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua and Semen Cassiae feed additive on intestinal microflora of Wanxi White Goose
The widespread use of antibiotics in poultry breeding has led to drug resistance of pathogenic microorganisms. With long-term dependence on antibiotics, immunity in poultry has decreased, increased susceptibility and seriously affecting the quality of poultry protein products and consumer health…
Factors influencing consumer preferences for goat meat
In recent years, there has been a dramatic spike in meat prices in Algeria and globally and this has substantially influenced meat consumption trends. The study aims to understand the factors that influence consumer perceptions and goat meat consumption behaviour…
Effects of maternal L‑glutamine supplementation during late gestation on litter performance
To evaluate the effects of glutamine (Gln) supplementation on sow performance during late gestation and lactation and their offspring, eighty pregnant, multiparous sows of a commercial hybrid line were used in a completely randomized, 2 × 2 experimental design at…
The first morphological study of the Sloughi dog breed in Algeria
The present work aims to study morphometric profile, calculate body indices, and determine mathematical models that will be used for the estimation of adult live weights based on body measurements using multiple regression models in an endangered heritage breed, the…
Assessment of sperm quality of communal goats in the hard-veld region of Botswana
The objective of this study was to assess semen characteristics of bucks kept under communal management systems in the hard-veld, southern part of Botswana. In early autumn, semen was collected from 22 bucks ranging from ≤ 2 to ≥5 years…
Quality traits of table eggs as affected by management practices and storage periods
This study evaluated the external and internal quality characteristics after various storage periods (SP) of eggs from different management practices (MP) regarding layer hen housing and feeding systems. One hundred eggs collected from farms with Lohman Sandy hens raised in…
Effect of different dietary fibre raw material sources on production and gut development in fast-growing broilers
Many studies have been published recently about the beneficial effect of different fibre sources in a broiler diet. To assess the effects of raw material sources available in southern Africa, a trial was done with four treatments: control diet, 2%…
Effect of chia oil addition to quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) diets on growth performance, blood antioxidant status, caecal concentrations of short-chain fatty acids, and biomechanical properties of bones
The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of chia oil supplementation in quail diets on growth performance, blood antioxidant status, caecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentration, and tibia–femur biomechanical properties. A total of 180, one-day-old quail chicks…
Effect of non-genetic factors on milk yield in a Romanian Spotted dual purpose breed
The objective of the current study was to establish the possible impact of several non-genetic factors on milk yield. Data from 1120 lactations were collected between 2019 and 2022 regarding cows’ milk yield (MY) and 305-d MY, under the influence…
Effects of nettle content and delivery route on performance, nutrient digestibility, intestinal morphology, immune response, and antioxidant capacity of heat-stressed broiler chickens
This study was conducted to assess the effect of nettle supplementation on heat-stressed broiler performance and physiology. A total of 540 Ross-308 broiler chicks were randomly assigned to nine treatments each with six replications of 10 birds. Three contents of…
