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 (2025): 0.8 (Q4 of subject category)
Scimago (SJR) (2025): 0.231 (Q3)
Scopus CiteScore (2025): 1.4
An evaluation of Panicum maximum cv. Gatton at different stages of maturity and fertilised at different levels of nitrogen durin
The aim of this study was to measure the effects of stage of maturity and level of nitrogen (N) fertilisation of Panicum maximum cv. Gatton on intake, ruminal fermentation and the partial digestibility of organic matter (OM) in sheep grazing…
The effect of dietary energy and protein during a breeding season of ostriches (Struthio camelus domesticus) on production the f
In a study on ostrich nutrition that spanned three breeding seasons, we assessed the effect of different energy and protein levels in the previous breeding season on production in the following breeding season. During the first breeding season, groups of…
The effect of dietary energy and protein levels on condition and production of breeding male ostriches
In a study over two breeding seasons, we assessed the effect of dietary energy and protein levels on body mass, body condition and the production of fertile eggs by male ostriches. During the first season, birds were fed diets with…
The influence of multicollinearity on crossbreeding parameter estimates for weaning weight in beef cattle
Data on 17258 weaning weight records of calves from a crossbreeding project were utilized to investigate the problem of collinearity and its effect on the estimation of direct, maternal and the non-additive genetic effects. Several criteria were used to detect the near-dependency…
Chemical and physical parameters of forage legume species introduced in the Capricorn region of Limpopo Province, South Africa
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the nutritive value of the forage legume species, Centrosema pascuorum, Lablab purpureus, Macroptilium bracteatum, Macroptilium gracile and Vigna oblongifolia as feed for ruminants in the Capricorn region of Limpopo Province, South Africa…
Relationship between production performance, visual appraisal and body measurements of young Dorper rams
The body measurements of 433 young Dorper rams participating in the Free State and Northern Cape veld-ram projects were correlated with their production performance. These measurements included a selection index, body weight (kg), average daily gain (g/day) and scrotal circumference…
The effect of the addition of a lactic acid bacterial inoculant to maize at ensiling on silage composition, silage intake, milk
The aim of the study was to determine the effect of the addition of a lactic acid bacterial inoculant to maize at ensiling on the fermentation dynamics during ensiling, aerobic stability of the silage as well as the intake, milk…
Geographical distribution of the selenium status of herbivores in South Africa (Review article)
Available information on the selenium (Se) status of grazing herbivores in South Africa is reviewed and collated in the form of a geographical distribution map. Marginal to acute Se deficiencies have been reported to occur in the Midlands region and…
The effect of sampling frequency on the accuracy of estimates of milk-fat yields of dairy cows
Estimation of 300-day lactation yields of milk, fat, protein and lactose from combined morning and afternoon milk samples collected at five-weekly intervals is time-consuming, and proportional bulking of morning and evening samples is not always done correctly by farmers. This…
The heritability of acceptability in South African Merino sheep
Selection for production and reproduction in South African Merino sheep is always combined with selection based on visual appraisal and will, in all probability, remain so for many years to come. Heritabilities for acceptability were estimated using a threshold model…
Allozyme variation in two populations of the Mopane worm, Imbrasia belina (Saturniidae), and the effect of developmental stage a
Imbrasia belina is utilised as a food item by certain ethnic groups of southern Africa, but little is known of the genetic structure of this resource. The aims of this study were to determine whether the limited flight ability of…
Heritability estimates derived from threshold analyses for reproduction and stayability traits in a beef cattle herd
The object of this study was to estimate heritabilities and sire breeding values for stayability and reproductive traits in a composite multibreed beef cattle herd using a threshold model. A GFCAT set of programmes was used to analyse reproductive data…
Effect of dietary molasses on the site and extent of digestion of nutrients in sheep fed broiler litter
The aim of this experiment was to determine the site and extent of digestion of nutrients in sheep fed broiler litter alone (100% litter treatment), broiler litter plus 7.5% sugarcane molasses (92.5% litter treatment) and broiler litter plus 15% molasses…
Genetic parameters for reproductive traits in a beef cattle herd estimated using multitrait analysis
The object of this study was to estimate heritabilities and genetic correlations for reproductive traits in a composite multibreed beef cattle herd using multitrait analysis. A REML procedure fitting a multitrait animal model was used to analyse data. Heritabilities and…
The effect of monensin on milk production, milk urea nitrogen and body condition score of grazing dairy cows
Twenty Holstein-Friesian cows, two to four months postpartum, were randomly assigned to two groups. The control group received no monensin, whereas the treatment group received 300 mg monensin per cow per day. Cows grazed kikuyu pasture and received maize-based concentrates…
Selected mineral and heavy metal concentrations in blood and tissues of vultures in different regions of South Africa
Concentrations of eight essential elements (Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni and Zn) and three toxic metals (Al, Pb and Sr) were measured in various tissue samples from African whitebacked (Pseudogyps africanus), Cape griffon (Gyps coprotheres) and Lappetfaced (Torgos…
Index selection of beef cattle for growth and milk production using computer simulation modelling
The Texas A&M University (TAMU) Beef Cattle Production model was expanded to include basic concepts of quantitative genetics. The traits simulated were birth weight, yearling weight, mature weight and milk production. The progeny inherited attributes from both the sire and…
An evaluation of Panicum maximum cv. Gatton: 1. The effect of stocking rate and period of absence on the production of sheep
The aim of this study was to evaluate the livestock production potential of Panicum maximum cv. Gatton cultivated under dry-land conditions and grazed at various stocking rates after various periods of re-growth. Treatments included a high stocking rate, fast rotation…
An evaluation of Panicum maximum cv. Gatton: 2. The influence of stage of maturity on diet selection, intake and rumen fermentat
The aim of the study was to evaluate the nutritional value of Panicum maximum cv. Gatton for sheep production in three different seasons and at three different stages of maturity. More mature pasture, compared to younger pasture, resulted in lower…
An evaluation of Panicum maximum cv. Gatton: 3. The partial digestion by sheep of organic matter, nitrogen and neutral detergent
The aim of this study was to quantify the partial digestion of organic matter (OM), nitrogen (N) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) in sheep grazing Panicum maximum cv. Gatton pastures at three stages of pasture maturity during summer, autumn or…
