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
Supplementation of dietary nano zinc phytogenic on growth performance and carcass traits of the growing Kampung Unggul Balitbangtan chickens
The objective of this experiment was to evaluate productive performance during the growing period in Kampung Unggul Balitbangtan (KUB) chickens fed on low- and high-nutrient diets containing different levels of dietary nano zinc phytogenic (NZP). The experiment followed a randomized…
Microbiological quality assessment of milk and its fermented derivatives produced in the Sfax region, Tunisia
The aim of this study was to evaluate the microbial quality and safety of milk and its derivatives in the Sfax area, Tunisia. Two hundred and forty samples of ultra-high temperature sterilized milk (UHT) and pasteurized milk, and its derivatives…
Trace mineral concentration of forages in connection with sheep dietary requirements
This paper describes the trace and ultra-trace mineral concentration in different forages utilized by sheep (Kajli and Fat tail) in the rangelands of Chakwal district, Punjab, Pakistan. The concentrations of Se, Mo, Zn, Mn, Cu, and Co were assessed using…
Possible aetiology of the posterior presentation in Perosomus elumbis
The aetiology of foetal presentation in cattle is still unresolved. The hind legs are the main source of propulsive movement in cattle, which provides changes in foetal presentation. The assumption is that in the absence of hind leg movements of…
Screening and preliminary analysis of differentially expressed genes in quail embryos for feather colour based on RNA-Sequencing
The purpose of this study was to use RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and analyse transcriptomic data from embryonic skin tissues of maroon-feather and white-feather quails. The transcriptome of embryonic skin tissues from quails was sequenced using…
Slaughter and carcass characteristics of cross- and purebred lambs finished in a pasture-based system
One hundred and twelve cross- and purebred pasture-reared lambs were slaughtered at optimal backfat thickness (4 mm). Selected slaughter, carcass, and meat quality characteristics of these animals were assessed. Slaughter age, but not weight, was influenced by genotype, whereas rams…
Effects of diet on ruminal methanogenic archaea composition and diversity in cashmere goats
Diet is the most direct way to affect the rumen microbial community. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of different diets on ruminal methanogen composition in cashmere goats. Twenty-four cashmere goats were randomly divided into four…
Association study of polymorphisms in miRNA-1687 with growth traits of chickens
Polymorphisms within microRNAs can lead to phenotypic variations in organisms. The purpose of this research was to investigate the potential impact of the pre-miR-1687 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on the economic characteristics of weight and body size in chickens. The…
Suckling piglets submitted to creep feeding management from 5 days-old showed optimal performance and exploratory behaviour
This study aimed to assess the effects of starting creep feeding at different ages on performance, behaviour, haematological, and biochemical parameters in piglets. A total of 138 piglets (1.34 ± 0.25 kg, n = 13 sows), weaned at 21 d-old,…
Suckling piglets submitted to creep feeding management from 5 days-old showed optimal performance and exploratory behaviour
This study aimed to assess the effects of starting creep feeding at different ages on performance, behaviour, haematological, and biochemical parameters in piglets. A total of 138 piglets (1.34 ± 0.25 kg, n = 13 sows), weaned at 21 d-old,…
Pre-treatments of Mirasolia diversifolia using Lactobacillus bulgaricus at different dosages and fermentation times: Phytic acid concentration, enzyme activity, and fermentation characteristics
The present study aimed to determine the optimal dosage and fermentation time of Mirasolia diversifolia (leaves and stems) using Lactobacillus bulgaricus bacteria by observing the reduction in phytic acid, the activity of enzymes, pH of fermentation, number of bacterial colonies,…
Golden mussel shell (Limnoperna fortunei) flour contaminated with cadmium as a calcium source for broiler chickens
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of golden mussel flour (GMSF) contaminated with increasing rates of cadmium (Cd) as a replacement for limestone as a Ca source, in broiler chicken feed from 14 to 42 days…
Effect of herbal extracts as alternatives to antibiotics in the first week of age on broiler performance, serum biochemistry, and intestinal morphology under commercial farm conditions
This study was performed to show the effect of two herbal extracts as alternatives to antibiotics in the first eight days of rearing on broiler performance, serum biochemistry, and the jejunum morphology of the broiler. A total of 264, one-day…
In situ and in vitro degradation parameters of elephant grass silage with sugarcane bagasse
The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition and in situ degradability of elephant grass silage dry matter with increasing levels of sugarcane bagasse. A completely randomized design was adopted with five treatments: 0, 5, 10, 15,…
Somatic cell count and an Animal Needs Index to evaluate animal welfare in dairy cattle on farms constructed to the standards of the Agriculture and Rural Development Support Institution
In this research, welfare measurements were made on 14 modern dairy cattle farms (Type 1) with similar enterprise scales and built without any support from any institution, and on eight modern dairy cattle farms (Type 2), which were built with…
Effect of pineapple peel addition on sorghum ensilage
Silage mixed with forage and byproducts is an alternative nutritional strategy for ruminant production. This study aimed to characterize chemical–nutritional aspects, fermentative profile, and digestibility of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) silage with different contents of pineapple (Ananas comosus L…
Effect of a probiotic blend in broiler chicken diets and its effect on growth performance, carcass traits, and haematological profile
The study aimed to assess the effect of different dietary levels of a probiotic blend (Probio Enzyme®) during the first 14 days of age (DOA) or up to 42 DOA, on growth performance, carcass and digestive tract traits, and haematological…
Effect of combination magnetic technology and encapsulated probiotics in the drinking water on blood profile and immunity of laying hens
This study aimed to determine the health status of laying hens using a combination of magnetic technology and probiotics in drinking water. A total of two hundred and eighty-eight (288), 57-week-old ISA Brown laying hens were assigned to six treatments…
Genetic diversity and population structure of Turkish Aseel chickens
This study aimed to assess the genetic diversity, maternal origin, and population structure of Turkish Aseel chickens. The research was conducted on Aseel roosters and chicks older than one year. DNA was extracted from 96 Turkish Aseel feather samples collected…
Carcass traits and meat quality of steers fed palm kernel cake as a replacement for grain sorghum
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of replacing grain sorghum (GS) with palm kernel cake (PKC) on the performance, carcass traits and meat quality of feedlot steers fed high-grain diets. Forty male ½ Holstein × ½…
