Small Ruminants
A section of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615).
Section Information
The subsection Small Ruminants presents original research on sheep, goats, New World camelids, and deer that are kept in conditions of husbandry. Scientifically excellent papers that consider small ruminants in the context of genetic or environmental conservation, or rural development, or that have significant implications for animal welfare, will be particularly welcome, and an interdisciplinary approach is encouraged. Experimental and genomic studies must explain what hypotheses are being tested, and whether new hypotheses are required. Submissions with a strong veterinary, nutritional, meat or dairy science, or genetic focus must make the wider interest of the work very clear. While case studies in general are not excluded, they should be placed in a hypothesis-testing framework.
Keywords
- Selection and breeding
- Husbandry systems and their social contexts
- Welfare indicators and management
- “Omics” studies in small ruminants
- Small ruminants in the environment
- Emergent and established diseases of small ruminants
- Reproduction and fertility
- Microbiome studies
Editorial Board
Topical Advisory Panel
Special Issues
Following special issues within this section are currently open for submissions:
- Current Research in Sheep and Goats Reared for Meat (Deadline: 31 August 2025)
- Advances in Mammary Gland Biology and Lactation of Ruminants: Second Edition (Deadline: 31 October 2025)
- Advances in Small Ruminant Welfare (Deadline: 31 October 2025)
- Factors Affecting Fattened Ewe and Lamb Performance, Carcass Conformation, Meat Quality, and Flavor (Deadline: 30 November 2025)
- Novel Technologies in Ruminant Nutrition, Reproduction, Health, Production, and Sustainability (Deadline: 30 November 2025)
- Forage-Based Production Systems for Small Ruminants (Deadline: 19 December 2025)
- Selected Papers of the XXIV Congress of the Italian Society of Sheep and Goat Pathology and Production (SIPAOC) “Sustainability of Sheep and Goat Farming” (Deadline: 31 December 2025)
- Natural Antioxidants in Small Ruminant Nutrition: Revolutionizing Meat and Dairy Quality (Deadline: 31 December 2025)
- Nutrient Utilization, Requirements and Nutrigenomics in Sheep and Goats (Deadline: 15 January 2026)
- Lactation Physiology and Milk Quality of Small Ruminants: Second Edition (Deadline: 31 March 2026)
- Management of the Impact of Stress on Ruminant Reproduction (Deadline: 31 May 2026)
Topical Collections
Following topical collections within this section are currently open for submissions:
