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
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) ×…
Comparison of on-farm progeny performances from local and imported boar semen used in the South African pig industry
The widespread use of artificial insemination in the pig industry has provided breeders with access to genetic material from superior boars from around the world. Selection of parent stock is based on estimated breeding values (EBVs), which are regularly computed…
Effects of protease on growth performance and carcass characteristics of growing-finishing pigs
A study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary protease supplementation on growth performance and carcass characteristics of growing-finishing pigs that started with a lower bodyweight than pigs in the control group. A total of 96 growing pigs (initial…
Effects of feeding corn silage, pelleted, ensiled, or pelleted and ensiled alfalfa on growth and carcass characteristics of lamb
Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of corn silage (CS) and alfalfa (pelleted (AP), haylage (AH), or combination (APH)) on lamb growth and carcass characteristics. The objective of Experiment 1 (Exp. 1) was to compare AH to CS…
Genetic parameters for ewe reproduction with objectively measured wool traits in Elsenburg Merino flock
Reproduction is important for sustainable lamb production in Merino sheep. Data from a Merino flock maintained at Elsenburg Research Farm in the Western Cape, South Africa, were used to investigate the genetic parameters for ewe reproduction traits and their relationship…
Effects of various inulin levels on in vitro digestibility of corn silage, perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and common vetch (Vicia sativa L.)/oat (Avena sativa L.) hay
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of various inulin levels on in vitro true dry matter digestibility (IVTDDM) and in vitro neutral detergent fibre digestibility (IVTDNDF) of corn silage (CS), perennial ryegrass (PR), and common vetch/oat…
Castration of male livestock and the potential of immunocastration to improve animal welfare and production traits: Invited Review
Growing consumer awareness about animal welfare has led to the assessment of the impact of common farming practices, such as physical castration, on animal well-being under production conditions. Physical castration is used in livestock industries to prevent indiscriminate breeding, control…
Processing of South African biltong – A review
South Africa has been producing biltong for many years and its popularity is increasing locally and internationally. Biltong is commonly grouped with other dried meat products from around the world, but with its unique production method and expanding economic value,…
Effects of silymarin (Silybum marianum) supplementation on milk and blood parameters of dairy cattle
The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary silymarin on milk yield, milk fat, and certain blood parameters of dairy cattle. Silymarin is a naturally accepted hepatoprotectant that is used in the treatment of liver diseases in…
Effects of probiotics on growth performance, blood parameters, and antibody stimulation in piglets
The study investigated the effects of probiotic bacteria (Lactobacillus reuteri ZJ625, Lactobacillus reuteri VB4, Lactobacillus salivarius ZJ614, and Streptococcus salivarius NBRC13956) administered as direct-fed microorganisms on growth performance and blood parameters of weaned piglets. Forty-five weaned piglets were divided into…
Effects of dietary physical form and dietary inclusion of probiotic and enzyme on growth performance, cellular and humoral immunity, and relative weights of lymphoid organs at early period of broiler chickens fed triticale-based diets
The aim of the present study was to investigate interactions between feed form and dietary inclusion of probiotics (live organisms) and enzymes on growth performance, cellular and humoral immunity, and relative weights of lymphoid organs of broiler chicks fed a…
Effects of Prosopis laevigata pods on carcass characteristics, non-carcass components, meat quality, fatty acid profile and sensory attributes
It was hypothesized that feeding mesquite pods to male Rambouillet lambs would have no negative effects on carcass characteristics, meat chemical composition and fatty acid composition of Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL). Twenty-one male lambs (2.5 months old and 21…
Carcass and meat quality of Boer and indigenous goats of South Africa under delayed chilling conditions
This study was conducted to evaluate the carcass and meat quality of Boer goats and unimproved indigenous goats of South Africa, under delayed chilling conditions. Ten goats per breed were used for the study. The goats were slaughtered according to…
Effect of olive meal and supplemental enzymes on performance traits, blood biochemistry, humoral immunity response and caecal microbiota of broilers
This study investigated the growth performance, carcass characteristics, blood biochemistry, humoral immunity and caecal microbiota of broiler chicks fed 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8% olive meal (OM) in diet. In addition, this study investigated the use of enzymatic feed…
Molecular cloning, sequence analysis and tissue expression of bovine imprinted ASCL2 gene
Achaete-scute like-2 (ASCL2) gene is a maternally expressed gene that encodes a lineage-specific transcription factor that is essential for neurectoderm and trophectoderm development and is implicated in pre-natal and post-natal development in mammals. Using comparative genomics, various in silico sequence…
Development and preliminary validation of an automatic digital analysis system for animal fibre analysis
New equipment was designed and developed to evaluate the physical characteristics of animal fibres, based on an automatic digital analysis system (ADAS) that allows the capture of a series of real-time images. In the development of the mechanical component, a…
Effect of freezer storage on quality of M. longissimus lumborum from fallow deer (Dama dama L.)
The aim of this study was to analyse changes in the quality of meat (M. longissimus lumborum) from 11 fallow deer (Dama dama L.) bucks, which had been deep-frozen (-26 °C) for 10 months. The proximate chemical composition, physico-chemical properties…
