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
Fatty acid profile and health lipid indices in the raw milk of Simmental and Holstein-Friesian cows from an organic farm
The aim of this study was to compare the health-related fatty acid (FA) profiles and health lipid indices in the raw milk of Simmental and Holstein-Friesian cows from an organic farm. The milk from Simmental cows had a significantly higher…
The effect of dietary protein on breast meat yield of broilers reared on different daylengths
The objective of the trial reported here was to determine whether breast meat yield would improve in broilers reared on short daylengths if higher levels of dietary protein were fed. To that end, 3200 Ross 308 International broilers were reared…
Effects of Rhus coriaria on nutrient composition, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and colour of thigh meat in heat-stressed broilers
Heat stress negatively affects the meat quality in broiler chickens, as indicated by lipid peroxidation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of 0.0, 2.5, 5.0 and 10 g sumac fruit powder/kg of the diet, along with…
Validation of the 50k Illumina goat SNP chip in the South African Angora goat (Short communication)
Tools for the genomic evaluation of goats have generally lagged behind those for other species. However, the recent availability of the goat SNP50 consortium bead chip has marked a positive change for this small ruminant species. Polymorphic loci can differ…
The nutritional value of new varieties of high-yielding triticale: Nutrient composition and in vitro digestibility
Ten high-yielding cultivars of triticale obtained from a breeding group at the University of New England, harvested in 2008 and 2009, were assessed for nutrient composition and nutrient digestibility. The cultivars tested were AT528, H20, H127, H128, H157, H249, H418,…
The nutritional value of new varieties of high-yielding triticale: Feeding value of triticale for broiler chickens
Three hundred and thirty-six day-old male Cobb-500 broiler chickens were randomly allotted to seven dietary treatment groups. Twelve chicks were slaughtered on day 1 to obtain baseline data. There were six replicates of each treatment and eight chicks per replicate…
The effects of three extenders on refrigerated boar semen
This study aims to evaluate the quality of boar sperm that was refrigerated for 14 days at 17 ºC with three extenders. For this study, samples from four boars were collected twice a week using the gloved-hand technique. After collection,…
Effect of supplementary feeding to ewes and suckling lambs on ewe and lamb live weights while grazing wheat stubble
A trial was conducted to determine the effects on the performance of creep feeding suckling lambs and supplementing ewes that were grazing wheat stubble. Eight experimental units of South African Mutton Merino (SAMM) ewes and lambs were used in a…
Comparative changes in monthly blood urea nitrogen, total protein concentrations, and body condition scores of Nguni cows and heifers raised on sweetveld
The objective of this study was to determine the comparative changes in the monthly blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentration, total protein (TP) concentration in blood serum and the body condition score of Nguni cows and heifers raised on sweetveld. Twenty-four…
Genetic prediction models and heritability estimates for functional longevity in dairy cattle: Review
Longevity is a major component of the breeding objective for dairy cattle in many countries because of its high economic value. The trait has been recommended for inclusion in the breeding objective for dairy cattle in South Africa. Linear models,…
Phenotypic correlations of backfat thickness with meatiness traits, intramuscular fat, longissimus muscle cholesterol and fatty acid composition in pigs
The aim of the present study was to determine the phenotypic correlations of backfat thickness with meatiness traits and intramuscular fat, cholesterol and fatty acid composition in the longissimus muscle of pigs. For this study, 60 barrows and 60 gilts…
Influence of frozen storage on the fatty acid composition of ostrich meat enriched with linseed and rapeseed
The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of the duration (24 hours, 60 days and 120 days) of frozen storage (−20 ºC) on the fatty acid composition of meat from ostriches supplemented with linseed and rapeseed. The…
In vitro degradation of melamine by ruminal microorganisms
An in vitro study was conducted to determine the extent of melamine degradation in rumen liquor. Rumen liquor was collected from two ruminally cannulated Holstein cows on four separate dates, one week apart. Erlenmeyer flasks (250 mL) were prepared for…
Assessing nutrient adequacy from the crop contents of free-ranging indigenous chickens in rural villages of the Venda region of South Africa
The aim of the study was to evaluate the nutritional status of scavenging chickens by assessing the composition of their crop contents. The study was conducted on 288 free-ranging indigenous chickens from six adjacent rural villages in Venda region of…
Fatty acid profile, cholesterol and oxidative status in broiler chicken breast muscle fed different dietary oil sources and calcium levels
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of three feeds containing 6% oils: palm oil (PO), soybean oil (SO) and linseed oil (LO); and three calcium levels (NRC recommendation, 1.25% and 1.50%) on the fatty acid…
Changes in certain serum and faeces parameters in weaned piglets as a response to nutritional stress
Weaning is associated with several stress factors and their effects on the piglet’s body are fairly well known. Thus, changes were estimated in certain serum and faecal parameters after weaning owing to dietary protein level, though essential amino acid (AA)…
Effect of production system on welfare traits, growth performance and meat quality of ducks
The effects of production system on welfare traits, growth performance and meat quality of ducks were explored. A total of 120 newly hatched ducklings were randomly assigned to three groups: i) floor-reared system (FRS); ii) welfare-reared system (WRS) and iii)…
Ingestive behaviour of grazing ewes given two levels of concentrate
This study aimed to evaluate the influence of concentrate supplementation on the ingestive behaviour of grazing ewes. Twelve pregnant pluriparous sheep were used, six of the Santa Inês breed and six of the Morada Nova breed. The supplement was formulated…
Diallel analysis for bodyweight involving three genotypes of Nigerian indigenous chickens
To evaluate heterosis, reciprocal effect, general and specific combining abilities for bodyweight, a diallel crossing experiment was conducted using three genotypes of Nigerian indigenous chickens: normal (N), frizzle (F) and naked-neck (Na). A total of 601 chicks was hatched from…
First-time characterization of JY-1-like sequence in goats
The JY-1 protein is oocyte specific, and is associated with folliculogenesis and early embryo development, and thus influences the chance of pregnancy. It was the first protein of maternal origin to be described for a single ovulating species, namely cattle…
