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
Oxidative stress biomarkers in West African Dwarf goats reared under intensive and semi-intensive production systems
This study explored the variation in physiological oxidative status of West African Dwarf (WAD) goats as the rainy season progressed in a humid climate in south-west Nigeria. A total of 24 growing WAD bucks, averaging 10.5 kg + 0.78 liveweight,…
Effects of mannan-oligosaccharides-supplemented diets on production performance of four close-bred flocks of Japanese quail breeders
The present study was conducted to find out the dietary effects of mannan-oligosaccharides (MOS) supplemented diets on the production performance of four close-bred flocks (CBFs) of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) breeders. A total of 960 twelve-week-old birds of four…
The influence of polyethylene glycol inclusion in Vachellia tortilis leaf meal on nitrogen balance in growing pigs
The incorporation of polyethylene glycol (PEG), a tannin binding agent, in high tannin feedstuff is known to prevent tannin-protein complexes. Environmental contamination with nitrogen-containing products in manure is a topical issue in the tropics. The objective of the study was…
Phenotypic and genetic parameters for selected production and reproduction traits of Mpwapwa cattle in low-input production systems
The objective of this study was to assess the genetic improvement programme of the Mpwapwa dairy cattle breed over the past four decades, based on on-station selection and breeding. Estimates of genetic parameters and genetic trends for total lactation milk…
Changes in the composition and fatty acid profile of Najdi ewes’ milk before and after weaning
This trial aimed to study the changes in the yield, composition, and fatty acid (FA) profile of ewes’ milk during suckling and milking periods. Nineteen multiparous Najdi ewes were kept under identical management and feeding conditions during a 12-week trial…
Preliminary genome-wide association study for wet-dry phenotype in smallholder ovine populations in South Africa
The aim of this study was to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with genomic region underlying variation in the binomial reproductive trait ‘wet-dry’ in sheep. The wet-dry phenotype was used to represent the reproductive status of the ewes, divided…
Effects of chromium supplementation on growth, nutrient digestibility and meat quality of growing pigs
The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of chromium picolinate (CrPic) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and protein and lipid quality of five anatomical parts in growing pigs. The 30-day study was conducted on eight castrated Topigs…
Chewing activity, metabolic profile and performance of high-‎producing dairy cows fed conventional forages, wheat straw or rice straw
In this study, production and physiological responses of high-producing dairy cows fed wheat (WS) or rice (RS) straw, as a partial forage replacement for the conventional forages lucerne hay (LH) and maize silage (MS‎), were investigated. The straws were treated…
Genetic parameters for test-day milk yield in tropical Holstein Friesian cattle fitting a multiple-lactation random regression animal model
Accurate estimates of genetic parameters are essential for genetic improvement of milk yield in dairy cattle and for setting up breeding programmes. Estimates of genetic parameters from test-day models, particularly for Holstein Friesian cattle maintained in tropical environments, are scant…
Modelling of digesta passage rates in grazing and browsing domestic and wild ruminant herbivores
Ruminant utilization of poor-quality feeds is governed by rates of digestion and of passage through the rumen. The passage rate of feed material determines the quantity of bypass nutrients and the efficiency of synthesis of microbial protein in the rumen,…
Growth performance, immune status and organ morphometry in broilers fed Bacillus subtilis-supplemented diet
The present research aimed to investigate the effects of Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) on performance, immune system, gut, and lymphoid organs’ microarchitecture in broilers. A total of 120 day-old broiler chicks were randomly distributed into four groups. The birds were…
Effects of restricted feeding and re-alimentation of dietary protein or energy on compensatory growth of sheep
The study investigated the effects of re-alimenting dietary protein or energy on growth, carcass characteristics and meat eating quality parameters of sheep. Twenty-seven intact rams (~9 months; 11.3 ± 0.5 kg) were randomly divided into three groups. Each group was…
Growth performance, body measurements, carcass composition and some internal organ characteristics in young Pekin ducks
The aim of the study was to compare the bodyweight and body measurements, carcass composition, and characteristics of major visceral organs in male and female Pekin ducks. A total of 80 hybrid SM3 Heavy ducks were kept in a conventional…
Towards a regional beef carcass classification system for Southern Africa: Review
Southern Africa is home to over 64 million cattle, of which 75% are raised on natural pasture in smallholder farming areas. Indigenous cattle breeds Bos indicus (zebu), B. taurus africanus (Sanga type) and their crosses with B. taurus (European and…
Genetic diversity of the 3ꞌ and 5ꞌ untranslated regions of the HSP70.1 gene between native Turkish and Holstein Friesian cattle breeds
Heat stress proteins are important factors in protecting cells against environmental stress. The HSP70.1 gene is one of the most important members of the heat stress protein family, which is essential for life, production and reproduction. In this study, partial…
Impact of dietary glutamine on amino acid digestibility values and intestinal morphometric parameters in neonate chicks
Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of fortification of the pre-starter diet with glutamine in post-hatch broiler chicks. In the first experiment, male chicks were used to study the impact of glutamine supplementation at three levels (0%, 1%…
Seasonal variations in scrotal circumference and semen characteristics of Naimi and Najdi rams in Saudi Arabia (Short communication)
In the present study, the authors analysed the effects of seasonal variations on the scrotal circumference and semen characteristics in two ram breeds in Saudi Arabia, namely Naimi and Najdi. Five rams of each breed were used in this experiment…
Effect of dietary yeast autolysate on performance, slaughter, and carcass characteristics, as well as blood parameters, in quail of both genders*
This study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary yeast autolysate (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on performance, slaughter and carcass characteristics, as well as blood parameters, in Japanese quail of both genders. A total of 1000 (500 males and 500 females)…
Effects of birth weight and standardized litter size on growth performance of boars and subsequent reproductive performance
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of birth weight and rearing litter size on growth and reproductive performance of boars. One hundred and forty male piglets were allotted to two groups, based on litter size: a…
Evaluation of production and reproduction of three South African Angora goat CYP17 genotypes
Two CYP17 genes, located on different loci and expressing enzymes with significantly different activities, have been identified in the South African Angora goat population. Three unique genotypes (named He, Hu, and Ho), which differed not only in the genes encoding…
