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
Basal metabolic rate scaled to body mass within species by the fractal dimension of the vascular system and body composition
Previous investigations show that it is plausible that metabolic rates (MR) in all body organs and tissues scale with their own mass with exponent b = D/3, where D is the fractal dimension of the self-similar vascular whole body blood…
Morphological assessment of Niger Kuri cattle using multivariate methods
A total of 406 adult cows and 34 bulls belonging to the Niger Kuri cattle population were assessed for 16 body measurements and 11 qualitative traits to contribute to the characterization of this unique cattle breed. Body measurements included facial,…
Effect of replacing wheat bran with spineless cactus plus urea in sugarcane-based diets for sheep
In times of drought, the availability of feed is reduced, and the use of concentrate ingredients, such as wheat bran, becomes costly for animal production. Thus, the use of spineless cactus emerges as a potential solution to the shortage of…
Blood lipid metabolites and meat lipid peroxidation responses of broiler chickens to dietary lecithinized palm oil
This trial was conducted to investigate the effects of supplementing saturated and unsaturated fat sources on serum metabolites and meat physiochemical parameters in the diets of broiler chickens. A total of 360 day-old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were used…
Effects of various additives to enhance growth performance, blood profiles, and reduce malodour emissions in growing pigs
Experiment 1 was a feeding trial in which 75 (LandraceⅹYorkshire)ⅹDuroc pigs with average initial bodyweight (BW) of 26 ± 1 kg were used. It was assigned to three pigs/pen and five pens/treatment. Experiment 2 was a metabolic trial in which…
Influence of bioregion and environmental factors on the growth, size and reproduction of Bonsmara cows
A better understanding of the influences of the bioregion (production environment) and environmental factors on the productivity of beef cows is vital in the pursuit of improving beef production. The influence of bioregion and important environmental factors in South Africa…
Replacing maize grain with dried citrus pulp in a concentrate feed for Jersey cows grazing ryegrass pasture
Dried citrus pulp (DCP) is a high-fibre by-product of the citrus industry. In total mixed ration (TMR) systems it has been shown to maintain a more stable ruminal environment, improving overall production compared with maize. The aim of the study…
Evaluation of fermented whole crop wheat and barley feeding on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, faecal volatile fatty acid emission, blood constituents, and faecal microbiota in growing pigs
This study was conducted to determine the effects of feeding diets with fermented whole crop wheat (FWW) and fermented whole crop barley (FWB) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood constituents, faecal volatile fatty acid (VFA) emission and faecal microbiota in…
Effects of reducing dietary crude protein and metabolic energy in weaned piglets
The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of a pure reduction in the dietary crude protein (CP) and metabolic energy (ME) contents on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood profile, faecal microflora and odour gas emission in weaned…
Should the South African red meat classification system be revised or maintained? A review
The objective of this review was to determine whether the current South African red meat classification system still needs to be revised and changed or maintained. It also gives insight into the most significant challenges related to meat quality evaluation…
Association between postpartum blood levels of glucose and urea and fertility of cross-bred dairy cows in Sudan
This study aimed to find correlations between blood glucose and urea levels and the duration of postpartum period (PPP), number of services per conception (S/C), open period (OP), conception rate (CR) to first service, and the overall CR in 80…
Sesame meal as the first protein source in piglet starter diets and advantages of a phytase: a digestive study
Soybean meal (SBM) is the protein source that is used most in feeding piglets, but its high price has prompted a search for alternatives. One option is sesame meal (SM), a by-product of sesame oil. This study evaluated the effects…
Influence of β-galacto-oligosaccharide on growth performance and components of intestinal barrier in broilers during heat stress
This study aimed to investigate the influence of β-galacto-oligosaccharides (β-GOS) on growth performance, organ development and intestinal microarchitecture of broilers during heat stress. Day-old chicks (n = 125) were divided into five groups. The control or thermoneutral zone group (TNZ)…
GBP6: differential expression in pulmonary alveolar macrophages under PRRSV infection and association with blood parameters of its missense mutation
The GBP6 gene belongs to the gene family of interferon-gamma inducible GTPases, and is located in a previously characterized QTL region of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) resistance in SSC4. In the current study, RT-PCR assay revealed that…
Intramuscular variation in mitochondrial functionality of beef semimembranosus
Intramuscular color stability variations in beef semimembranosus have been reported previously. Mitochondria remain biochemically active in postmortem muscle and can influence fresh beef color stability. However, the role of mitochondrial functionality in intramuscular color variations in beef semimembranosus is yet…
Ractopamine-induced changes in sarcoplasmic proteome profile of post-rigor pork semimembranosus muscle
Ractopamine is a beta-adrenergic agonist that increases leanness and carcass weight in finishing pigs. Our previous study observed that dietary ractopamine increased the abundance of several glycolytic enzymes in the sarcoplasmic proteome of post-rigor pork longissimus thoracis muscle. Pork semimembranosus…
Increasing zinc levels in phytase-supplemented diets improves the performance and nutrient utilization of broiler chickens
Three hundred and thirty-six day-old Ross-308 male broiler chicks were used in a 35-day trial to investigate the effect of different concentrations of dietary Zn and phytase on broiler performance and energy utilization. Twelve day-old birds were used for the…
Growth performance, haemo-biochemical parameters and meat quality characteristics of male Japanese quails fed a Lippia javanica-based diet
A total of 105 male Japanese quails (153.2 ± 10.21 g) (Cortunix cortunix japonica) were reared in an environmentally controlled house to investigate the effect of inclusion of Lippia javanica leaf meal on growth performance, haematological and serum biochemical parameters,…
Effects of mannan-oligosaccharides’ supplementation on hatching characteristics of four close-bred flocks of Japanese quail breeders
The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of mannan-oligosaccharides’ (MOS) supplementation on hatching characteristics of four close-bred flocks (CBFs) of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) breeders. A total of 960 Japanese quail breeders, aged 12 weeks old, were…
Performance of broiler chickens fed South African sorghum-based diets with xylanase
Two experiments were conducted to determine the influence of sorghum variety and xylanase on performance of broiler chickens. In Experiment 1A, a total of 240 day-old Ross broiler chickens were assigned to a 2 (sex) × 3 (sorghum variety) ×…
