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
Ecological benefit of strip grazing with a solar mobile fence grazing system
A study was conducted on 14 ha of Caducifolia thorny forest with an average total dry matter yield of 800 kg/ha/year. The area of study was divided into two 7 ha camps. Thirty-five Alpine goats were allocated to one of…
Preference of grazing goats for cool-season annual clovers
Information on improved forages for goat grazing is lacking for the southern USA. Two cafeteria-style grazing trials were completed to determine preference of meat-type goats for cool-season annual clovers in Georgia. In both experiments, 8 replicates of 6 plots of…
The determination of digestibility of Atriplex nummularia cv. De Kock (Oldman’s Saltbush) using different in vitro techniques
The main disadvantages of the rumen fluid in vitro technique are the cost and welfare issues of keeping cannulated animals. The purpose of the study was to find an accurate alternative in vitro technique to determine organic matter digestibility (OMD)…
Comparison of chemical composition of Atriplex spp. grown under South African conditions with regard to site, species and plant
The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional value of Atriplex spp. for small stock production. Selected plants were harvested and analysed for crude protein, in vitro digestibility and leaf to stem ratio. Significant differences in nutritional value…
Interspecies and location variation in oxalic acid concentrations in certain Atriplex species and Cassia sturtii
The aim of this study was to evaluate the interspecies variation in oxalic acid (OA) concentrations of leaves between Atriplex canescens, A. halimus, A. nummularia and Cassia sturtii. Significant differences in the oxalic acid concentration were noted between the three…
Mineral composition of certain Atriplex species and Cassia sturtii
The objective of this study was to quantify the macro and trace mineral concentrations of Atriplex canescens, A. halimus, A. nummalaria and Cassia sturtii at two different sites in South Africa. Statistically significant differences in Ca, P, Mg, Se, Zn…
Qualitative characteristics of some Atriplex species and Cassia sturtii at two sites in South Africa
Leaves of three Atriplex spp. and Cassia sturtii grown in two different locations in South Africa were analysed for certain nutritive characteristics. Crude protein values ranged from 176 to 234 g/kg DM for the Atriplex spp. and for C. sturtii…
Ash from fireplaces at homesteads in rural regions of South Africa as potential source of minerals to goats
In this study the mineral composition of ash from fireplaces at rural homesteads was determined to establish if such ash could be a source of minerals to goats. The mineral composition of ash collected from homesteads in six different communal…
A comparison of Cassia sturtii, Tripteris sinuatum and Sutherlandia microphylla: three fodder shrubs applicable to revegetation
Many arid and semi-arid areas have been degraded to bare patches and interventions are necessary to restore a productive state. Fodder shrubs, both exotic and indigenous, have been used for revegetation and reclamation. Ideally the species to be used should…
Mineral profile of diets consumed by range Spanish goats in a shrubland of North Mexico
The study was conducted to determine mineral concentrations in diets selected by goats grazing a thorn shrubland in a semi-arid region of north Mexico. Three goats (38 ± 1.8 kg BW) fitted with oesophageal cannulae were used to collect monthly…
Foraging strategies of sheep and goats under semi-intensive management in Botswana
Diet selection of sheep and goats was determined seasonally using the microhistological technique to assess their trophic diversities, diet overlapping and preferences between the two species. The trophic diversities of both sheep and goats were higher in the wet than…
Goat production in the smallholder section in the Boane district in Southern Mozambique
Results are presented of a study of a smallholder goat production system in the Boane district, southern Mozambique. Goat keepers (n = 65) were selected and their goats (Landim breed) (n = 770) were recorded and monitored over two years…
Factors affecting the profitability of different goat farm sizes in Hungary
The goat industry is the smallest among the so-called "big" domestic animal sectors in Hungary. At present the estimated size is about 60-70 thousand does, which are kept by approximately 7 000 holders. Not much information is available to evaluate…
Factors influencing weaning percentages of indigenous goats on communal grazing
The traditional system of goat management is mainly characterised by low survivability and high mortalities of kids, which result in low weaning percentages. High mortality among kids and slow growth among those that survive are the major constraints to production…
Fleece and skin traits of goats of different genetic types reared in southern Italy
The aim of this study was to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of down fibre production and of the percentage of active hair follicles in several genetic types of Italian goats. The trial was carried out in two regions…
Quality attributes of commercial cashmere
Recent investigations into objectively measured attributes of commercial cashmere have differentiated cashmere produced in different regions of the world on the basis of cashmere fibre attributes. By plotting any two of mean fibre diameter, fibre curvature and resistance to compression,…
The influence of age and reproductive status on quality and quantity of cashmere produced by Boer goats under South African cond
The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality and quantity of cashmere produced by Boer goats in South Africa. No significant differences were found between reproductive status and qualitative and quantitative characteristics of cashmere produced by Boer goats…
The accuracy of Video Image Analysis (VIA) and Optical Fibre Diameter Analysis (OFDA) to measure fibre diameter of cashmere
The aim of this study was to evaluate two techniques, Optical Fibre Diameter Analysis (OFDA) and Video Image Analysis (VIA) that were used to measure fibre diameter of cashmere and guard hair produced by South African indigenous goats. The fibre…
Variation in terpene content and profile in milk in relation to the dominant plants in the diet of grazing goats
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the diet of grazing goats on the concentration and the profile of terpenes in their milk. This was tested during three seasons of the year using the two most…
Seasonal variation in retinol concentration of goat milk associated with grazing compared to indoor feeding
Forty-five Siriana dairy goats were divided into three groups and assigned to three feeding treatments: i) grazing (G), ii) grazing plus 600 g of mixed barley and chickpeas grain per day (GBC), iii) grazing plus 600 g of mixed maize…
