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 bacterial inoculation on the fermentation characteristics and aerobic stability of ensiled whole plant soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.)
The effect of bacterial inoculation on the fermentation and aerobic stability of two ensiled whole plant soybean (WPSB) cultivars was determined in a 2 x 2 factorial design. Two WPSB cultivars, Link LF6466 and Pannar 522 RR, were harvested at…
Fatty acids, lipid and protein oxidation, metmyoglobin reducing activity and sensory attributes of biceps femoris muscle in goats fed a canola and palm oil blend
The link between the consumption of saturated fatty acids of ruminant meat and the incidence of chronic diseases in humans substantiates efforts to modify its lipid profile. However, altering the lipid profile of ruminant meat could affect its quality attributes…
Population structure and genetic trends for indigenous African beef cattle breeds in South Africa (Short communication)
The aim of this study was to investigate population structure and genetic trends based on pedigree and performance records of five indigenous African beef cattle breeds (Afrikaner, Boran, Drakensberger, Nguni and Tuli) in South Africa. Pedigree completeness over six generations…
Effects of dietary inclusion of probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics on intestinal histological changes in challenged broiler chickens
The present study aimed at evaluating the effects of probiotics, prebiotics and their combination on intestinal histological changes in broiler chickens challenged with Clostridium perfringens. Two hundred and forty newly hatched male broilers (Ross 308) were equally distributed into six…
Assessment of heavy metal contamination in raw milk for human consumption (Short communication)
The presence of heavy metals in various farm inputs, including feed, fertilizer, water and environment leads to excretion of the residues in animals’ milk. Because consumption of milk contaminated with heavy metals poses serious threats to consumers’ health, a study…
Effects of temperature, heating time and particle size on values of rumen undegradable protein of roasted soybean
Roasted soybeans are commonly used in diets for dairy cows, but the processing conditions of roasted soybean and their effects on rumen undegradable protein (RUP) have not been fully understood. In this study, the effect of the processing of roasted…
Determining the frequencies of B1, B2, B3 and E alleles of the CSN1S1 gene and their effects on milk yield and composition in Saanen goats
The aim of the study was to determine the frequencies of B1, B2, B3 and E alleles of the CSN1S1 gene and their effects on milk yield and composition in the Saanen goat breed. Milk samples were collected to identify…
Association of single nucleotide polymorphisms in genes coding insulin-like growth factor 1 system and milk production traits in Montbeliarde cows (Short communication)
The insulin-like growth factor 1 system plays a central role in the growth and development of the mammary gland. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) and insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) have been proposed as candidate genes for milk production…
Effect of polymorphisms in the ABCG2, LEPR and SCD1 genes on milk production traits in Holstein cows
This study was performed to investigate the association between polymorphisms in the ABCG2 (ATP-binding cassette sub-family G member 2), LEPR (leptin receptor) and SCD1 (stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase 1) genes and milk production traits in Holstein dairy cows in Iran. The…
Effects of dietary supplement of turmeric powder (Curcuma longa) on blood biochemistry parameters and antioxidant activity in chickens
The present study was conducted with 288 one-day-old mixed broiler chicks (Ross 308) to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with various levels of turmeric powder on blood constituents and antioxidant activity. The chicks were randomly assigned to eight dietary…
Effects of melatonin implantation during the slow period of cashmere growth on fibre production
This study was conducted to investigate the effects of melatonin implantation during the slow period of cashmere growth on fibre production in Inner Mongolian cashmere goats. It was found that melatonin implantation had no effect on the growth rate of…
Effects of replacing marine fishmeal with graded levels of Tra Catfish by-product protein hydrolysate on the performance and meat quality of pigs
A feeding trial was carried out to evaluate the effects of replacing fish meal (FM) with Tra Catfish (Pangasius hypophthalmus) by-product protein hydrolysate (TPH) on performance and carcass quality in pigs. Forty crossbred castrated (Yorkshire x Landrace) male pigs with…
Effect of sow age on the apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients in the diet
The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of sow age on apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients and the concentration of metabolizable energy in the diet. The experiment was carried out on 20 gestating sows, divided into…
Fatty acid profile and health lipid indices in the raw milk of ewes grazing part-time and hemp seed supplementation of lactating ewes
This experiment was designed to evaluate the effects of the feeding system (indoor or part-time grazing) of ewes and dietary supplementation with hemp seed (non-drug varieties of Cannabis sativa L.) on milk production and the composition of milk fatty acids…
Effects of dietary supplementation of Chinese herb medicine mixture on rumen fermentation, nutrient digestion and blood profile in goats
Twenty adult goats, fitted with ruminal cannulae, were used to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) mixtures on rumen fermentation, nutrient digestion and blood profiles. The wethers were assigned equally to one of the two…
Ovulatory response and embryo quality in Katahdin ewes supplemented with palm oil
The aims of this study were to evaluate the superovulatory response (SR), embryo quality and embryonic development in Katahdin ewes that received a dietary supplement of palm oil (PO). Ten ewes were assigned to receive 35 g palm oil (n…
The response of broiler breeder hens to dietary balanced protein
Two basal feeds (118 and 175 g protein/kg) with similar balanced amino acid mixtures were appropriately blended to produce six experimental diets differing in protein. These were fed for six weeks to 180 broiler breeder hens (Ross 308) housed in…
Effects of Thymus vulgaris and Mentha pulegium on colour, nutrients and peroxidation of meat in heat-stressed broilers
This study was designed to investigate the effects of Thymus vulgaris (thyme) and Mentha pulegium (mentha) powders on meat colour, nutrient composition and malondialdehyde (MDA) where broiler chickens were under heat stress. Two hundred one-day-old male chicks were used in…
Interactions of genotype, housing and dietary calcium in layer performance, eggshell quality and tibia characteristics
The study was designed to evaluate the interactions in performance, eggshell quality and tibia traits of two laying hen genotypes, namely a commercial hybrid, Lohmann (LSL), and a traditional breed, the Czech Hen (CH), housed in conventional cages and on…
Effects of stocking density on growth performance, carcass grade and immunity of pigs housed in sawdust fermentative pigsties
This study determined the effect of space allowance on performance, carcass grade and physiological variables of pigs reared in sawdust fermentative pigsties. A total of 699 crossbred (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc) pigs were housed in sawdust fermentative pigsties and…
