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
Effect of dietary lipid sources on lipid oxidation of broiler meat
The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of different dietary lipid sources and inclusion levels on lipid oxidation of thigh and breast muscle of male broilers. Eight isoenergetic (15.12 MJ AME/kg DM) and isonitrogenous (222.8 CP/kg DM)…
Effect of lignin type on extent and rate of neutral detergent fibre digestion and potential energy yield
The objective of this work was to study the effects of both Klason lignin (KL) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) on in vitro neutral detergent fibre (NDF) digestion (IVNDFd) in an effort to assess if acid labile phenolic compounds affect…
Rate of intake in wethers fed a temperate pasture with different feeding schedules and supplemented or not with additives
The effect of the feeding schedule and the use of additives on the intake and its rate were studied on animals consuming a temperate pasture. Twenty four wethers (47.8 ± 6.4 kg BW), housed in metabolism cages, were fed a…
Reduction of forces on the teats by single tube guiding in conventional milking parlours
Udder health considerably affects the economics of dairy farming. There are different reasons for poor udder health; one of them is the milking technique. In earlier studies it was shown that automatic milking systems (AMS) have advantages over conventional milking…
Estimation of genetic parameters of test day fat and protein yields in Brazilian Holstein cattle using an autoregressive multipl
This study was aimed to estimate variance components and genetic parameters for daily fat and protein yields of Brazilian Holstein cattle, using an autoregressive test day multiple lactations (AR) animal model. Data consisted of test day (TD) records produced by…
Effects of total dissolved solids on the accumulation of Br, As and Pb from drinking water in tissues of selected organs in broi
Water quality constituents ingested through drinking water can affect the animal’s physiology negatively and, through bioaccumulation in tissues, pose a biohazard to consumers. The study evaluated the effectiveness of a total dissolved solid (TDS) treatment as a possible alleviator of…
Effect of supplementary feed and stocking rate on the production of ostriches grazing irrigated lucerne pasture
This study was conducted to determine the effect of two different levels of supplementary feed and two different stocking rates on the production of grazing ostriches. One hundred and seventy ostriches were randomly allocated to four groups and kept on…
The nutritive value of South African Medicago sativa L. hay
A study was conducted to evaluate the variation and expand the existing and limiting nutritive value database of Medicago sativa L. hay (168 near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy spectrally selected samples) in South Africa. The highest moisture content recorded (140 g/kg) was…
Prediction of chemical composition of South African Medicago sativa L. hay from a near infrared reflectance spectroscopy spectra
The near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) to predict chemical and digestibility parameters was investigated. Samples (n = 168) representing the spectral characteristics of the South African Medicago sativa L. hay population were chemically analysed for the development of calibration equations. …
Evaluation of models for assessing Medicago sativa L. hay quality
A study was conducted to evaluate current proposed models for assessing Medicago sativa L. hay quality, using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) analyses and Cornell Nett Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) milk production prediction as a criterion of accuracy. Application…
Can repeated superovulation and embryo recovery in Boer goats limit donor participation in a MOET programme?
This study evaluated the effect of repeated superovulation and embryo recovery in 15 Boer goat does. Does were synchronised for oestrus using CIDR’s for 17 days and superovulated with pFSH during the natural breeding season (autumn). Cervical inseminations with fresh…
Effect of cryoprotectant on the cryopreservation of South African Kolbroek pig semen
The study evaluated the effect of different cryoprotectants on post-thaw survival and motility of Kolbroek sperm. Semen from Kolbroek boars was collected with the gloved hand technique. Ejaculates were diluted with Beltsville thawing solution (BTS) at a ratio of 1…
Modelling the long-term consequences of undernutrition of cows grazing semi-arid range for the growth of their progeny
Undernutrition of cows grazing semi-arid range as a result of drought or heavy stocking rates reduces prenatal and pre-weaning growth of their calves. A mechanistic model has been developed that simulates the productivity of vegetation and cattle on semi-arid savanna…
Production and breeding performance of South African dairy herds
Comparisons between production and breeding potential of different feeding systems (Concentrates, Mixed and Pastures)in South Africa were made. Data of active cows participating in performance testing as at November 2007 were used. Holstein cows numbered 68280 in 254 herds and…
The influence of supplementary light on Dorper lambs fed intensively
The objective of this trial was to quantify the differences in average daily gain (ADG), backfat thickness (BFT), eye muscle area (EMA), fat thickness (FT) on different body parts, the feed conversion ratio (FCR), body measurements and the weight of…
Influence of dietary energy level on the production of breeding ostriches
A study was conducted to determine the influence of dietary energy level on the production of breeding ostriches. Six diets varying in ME content (7.5, 8.0, 8.5, 9.0, 9.5 and 10.0 MJ ME/kg feed) were provided to both males and…
Improving the quality of wool through the use of gene markers
This study aimed at identifying gene markers associated with wool quality traits in Merino and Merino Cross sheep using a candidate gene approach. Polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis was used to identify sequence variation in the KAP1.3…
Effect of heat stress on six beef breeds in the Zastron district: The significance of breed, coat colour and coat type
A study was done to determine which factors had the greatest influence on a heifer’s susceptibility to heat stress. Parameters tested were breed, coat colour, coat score, hide thickness, weight gain, respiration rate and body condition score. The study was…
Silage fermentation attributes and certain rumen parameters in sheep fed two grass silages harvested at different stages of matu
The aim of this study was to compare two tropical grass species, Panicum maximum and Digitaria eriantha, in terms of silage fermentation attributes and certain rumen fermentation characteristics of silage made either at the boot or full bloom stages of…
Influence of grass species and stage of maturity at ensiling on intake and partial digestibility by sheep
The aim of this study was to compare intake and partial digestibility of organic matter (OM) and nitrogen (N) of two ensiled tropical grass species, P. maximum and D. eriantha, made either at the boot or full bloom stage of…
