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
Determination of metabolisable energy of five cultivars of hulless barley using adult Leghorn cockerels (Short communication)
Hulless barley contains more digestible nutrients than do whole barleys due to a lower content of indigestible fibre, but also contains a higher concentration of ß-glucans. The chemical composition and apparent metabolisable energy (AME) of five cultivars (3, 7, 12,…
Across flock genetic parameter estimation for yearling body weight and fleece traits in the South African Dohne Merino populatio
Accurate genetic parameter estimates are needed upon which to perform multiple-trait across flock breed analyses. Genetic parameters for yearling body weight (BW), clean fleece weight (CFW) and mean fibre diameter (MFD) were estimated using records of 107 389 individuals (the…
Shelled acorn seed (Quercus cerris) as a diet ingredient on the performance of growing Japanese Quail (Short communication)
This study was carried out to investigate the effects of dietary inclusion of shelled acorn seed (Quercus cerris) on the growth performance and carcass yield of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica). Four hundred four-day old quail chicks were used in…
The effect of plant age on the chemical composition of fresh and ensiled Agave salmiana leaves
In the first study dry matter (DM), organic matter, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and soluble carbohydrate (SC) concentrations were determined in whole leaves and the upper and lower sections of whole leaves of the Agave salmiana (Otto…
The use of a cluster analysis in across herd genetic evaluation for beef cattle
To investigate the possibility of a genotype x environment interaction in Bonsmara cattle, a cluster analysis was performed on weaning weight records of 72 811 Bonsmara calves, the progeny of 1 434 sires and 24 186 dams in 35 herds…
Effect of short-term pre-hatch heat shock of incubating eggs on subsequent broiler performance
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of thermal conditioning of broiler chickens during embryonic development on subsequent performance under standard rearing conditions. During incubation eggs from 32-, 45- and 56-week old Ross 308 broiler parent stock…
Live weight and reproduction performance of Zimbabwean Blue and South African Black ostriches
Data obtained from a pair-mated ostrich flock located at Oudtshoorn in South Africa were used to derive line differences for live weight and reproduction performance in sexually mature ostriches of the Zimbabwean Blue (ZB) and South African Black (SAB) strains…
Threonine and lysine requirements for maintenance in chickens
In order to describe the response of broiler breeder hens to dietary amino acids and to develop an effective model for the precise feeding of these birds after sexual maturity, accurate estimates of the amounts of each amino acid required…
Sprout selection and performance of goats fed Acacia karroo coppices in the False Thornveld of the Eastern Cape, South Africa
Acacia karroo Hayne is the dominant invading species in semi-arid savannas of South Africa and is an ecological threat of our modern era. This study investigated the preference and intake rates by goats when fed A. karroo coppice sprouts of…
Effects of dietary oil sources on egg quality, fatty acid composition of eggs and blood lipids in laying quail
This study was performed to investigate the effects of different oils in the diets of laying quail on their performance, egg quality, serum lipids and fatty acid composition of egg yolk. One hundred and ninety two 12-wk old Japanese quail…
Cloning and SNP screening of the TLR4 gene and the association between its polymorphism and somatic cell score in dairy cattle
Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is a cell-surface receptor that activates innate and adaptive immune responses. Recognizing a broad class of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), TLR4 is implicated as a receptor mediating cellular activation in response to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a…
Heritability estimates and correlations between production and reproductive traits in Lori-Bakhtiari sheep in Iran
Heritablities and correlations were estimated between lamb body weight at different ages and reproductive traits in the Lori-Bakhtiari sheep breed. Data and pedigree information for Lori-Bakhtiari sheep used in this study were 5826 records of body weight of lambs from…
Estimates of genetic parameters and effect of inbreeding on milk yield and composition in South African Jersey cows
The effect of inbreeding on the 305-d yields of milk, fat and protein, and the percentages of fat and protein in the first three lactations was estimated using records on the South African Jersey cows that participated in the National…
Mapping QTL for fatty acid composition that segregates between the Japanese Black and Limousin cattle breeds (Short communicatio
The objective of this study was to search for quantitative trait loci (QTL) that segregate between Japanese Black and Limousin cattle breeds and affect relative amounts of saturated (SFA), mono-unsaturated (MUFA) and poly-unsaturated (PUFA) fatty acids. Six F1 Japanese Black-Limousin…
Leptin gene polymorphism in Indian Sahiwal cattle by single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) (Short communication)
Leptin, a 16-Kilo dalton protein produced by the obesity (ob) gene, plays an important role in the regulation of feed intake, energy metabolism, growth and reproduction in cattle. The genetic variation of the leptin gene in Sahiwal cattle (Bos indicus)…
Results of 23 years of selection for post-weaning weight in a Caracu beef herd
Data from 1 698 animals belonging to an experimental Caracu herd were analysed with the objective of calculating the population selection differentials, generation intervals, effective size and inbreeding coefficients, and to estimate the direct and correlated responses for growth traits…
Effect of sage extract (Salvia officinalis) on growth performance, blood parameters, oxidative stress and DNA damage in partridg
This study was performed to evaluate the effect of different doses of sage extract on the growth and blood parameters, oxidative stress and DNA damage in partridges. In total, 252 day-old partridges (Alectoris chukar) were used. The birds were divided…
The effect of constant photoperiod on testis weight and the use of comb area to predict testis weights in broiler breeder males
From the literature, it is evident that broiler breeder pullets exhibit photorefractoriness, and while it is assumed that male broiler breeders respond in a similar manner to females, it would be beneficial to determine if that is the case. This…
Male broiler performance and nocturnal feeding under constant 8-h or 16-h photoperiods, and various increasing lighting regimens
This paper describes the responses of two genotypes of male broilers to constant 8- and 16-h photoperiods, and to an abrupt transfer from 8 to 16 h at 10, 15 or 20 d. Body weight, feed intake, and feed conversion…
Genetic parameter estimates for growth traits of Large White pigs in Kenya
Variance components and genetic parameter were estimated for piglet growth traits of Large White (LW) pigs managed under intensive production systems in Kenya. Data were on piglet performance of LW pigs born between 1982 to 1996. Growth performance traits of…
