Journal profile · Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Livestock Science
ISSN 1871-1413 · eISSN 1878-0490 · Elsevier · NETHERLANDS · Monthly · Founded 2006
Livestock Science: CAS Zone 3 · Agricultural & Forestry Sciences (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.13; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,970; review about 134 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 154 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Livestock Science is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 3 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock, Animal Nutrition and Physiology and Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive Physiology, together about 41.7% of its articles. Its main subfields are Animal Science and Zoology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Livestock Science promotes the sound development of the livestock sector by publishing original, peer-reviewed research and review articles covering all aspects of the broad field of animal production and animal science. The journal welcomes submissions on the avant-garde areas of animal genetics, breeding, growth, reproduction, nutrition, physiology, and behaviour in addition to genetic resources, welfare, ethics, health, management and production systems. The high-quality content of this journal reflects the truly international nature of this broad area of research. Submissions focusing on diagnosis, disease treatments and epidemiology are not welcomed and works entirely based on either laboratory work or laboratory animals are only rarely considered. Papers presenting reviews and meta-analyses must ensure that they provide new insights to our readers. When the novelty of the research presented (including meta-analyses) is due to the methods used, authors are encouraged to classify their works as either Short Communications or Technical Notes. Although the use of commercial compounds is allowed, they must not be the basis of the research presented. Our board does not consider papers based on the use of drugs in experiments, such as antibiotics in animal nutrition or behaviour modifiers in animal breeding.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Editor-in-chief Felix GoyachePublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 2%); most named United States 10, Brazil 10, Italy 9, Spain 8, Greece 6 (64 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestockBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology15.1%
- Animal Nutrition and PhysiologyAgricultural and Biological Sciences14.7%
- Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive PhysiologyAgricultural and Biological Sciences11.9%
- Animal Behavior and Welfare StudiesVeterinary9.5%
- Reproductive Physiology in LivestockAgricultural and Biological Sciences7.7%
- Meat and Animal Product QualityAgricultural and Biological Sciences6.9%
- Effects of Environmental Stressors on LivestockAgricultural and Biological Sciences6.4%
- Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and AnimalsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology3.3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 2.13LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.3LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 4.3Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.54LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.85LetPub ·
- h-index
- 99LetPub ·
- h-index
- 122OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 3,470OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.07OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 39.24%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 135LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 5,748 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 104 | 65 | 30 |
| 2025 | 154 | 81 | 220 |
| 2024 | 156 | 90 | 608 |
| 2023 | 156 | 72 | 1,093 |
| 2022 | 250 | 117 | 2,146 |
| 2021 | 334 | 147 | 4,119 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
134 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 9 months
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 9 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 80%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 75 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 134 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 1 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 2,970 / EUR 2,780 / GBP 2,380 / JPY 368,370 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 2,890 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Vancouver
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted12
- book reviewsBook Reviews will be included in the journal on a range of relevant books which are not more than two years old.Length not stated
- original paperOriginal Research Articles (Regular Papers)Original Research Articles should report the results of original research. The material should not have been previous…Length not stated
- original researchOriginal Research Articles (Regular Papers)Original Research Articles should report the results of original research. The material should not have been previous…Length not stated
- original research articleOriginal Research Articles (Regular Papers)Original Research Articles should report the results of original research. The material should not have been previous…Length not stated
- original research articles (regular papers)Original Research Articles should report the results of original research. The material should not have been previously published elsewhere, except in a prelimi…Length not stated
- position papersOpinion Papers are informative and thought-provoking articles on key issues, often dealing with matters of public concern. These will usually be invited, but a …Length not stated
- regular paperOriginal Research Articles (Regular Papers)Original Research Articles should report the results of original research. The material should not have been previous…Length not stated
- reviewOriginal Research Articles (Regular Papers)Original Research Articles should report the results of original research. The material should not have been previous…Length not stated
- review articleReview Articles should cover subjects falling within the scope of the journal which are of active current interest. Reviews will often be invited, but submitted…Length not stated
- review articlesReview Articles should cover subjects falling within the scope of the journal which are of active current interest. Reviews will often be invited, but submitted…Length not stated
- short communicationOriginal Research Articles (Regular Papers)Original Research Articles should report the results of original research. The material should not have been previous…Length not stated
- technical noteOriginal Research Articles (Regular Papers)Original Research Articles should report the results of original research. The material should not have been previous…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Publishing ethics policy Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 2006
- ISSN
- 1871-1413
- Electronic ISSN
- 1878-0490
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Livestock Science
What CAS zone is Livestock Science in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Livestock Science is in Zone 3 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Livestock Science?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.13; CiteScore 4.3, h-index 122.
How long does peer review take at Livestock Science?
The publisher reports about 134 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 9 months. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Livestock Science?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Vancouver; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Livestock Science based?
Of the 64 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 2%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (10), Brazil (10) and Italy (9). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Livestock Science?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Livestock Science is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Livestock Science open access, and what is the APC?
Livestock Science is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,970.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .