Eid al-Adha is approaching across the world, and it is one of the biggest religious festivals for Muslims. On this special day, different types of cattle are sacrificed in almost all countries of the world, including Bangladesh. About 50 to 55 lakh cattle are sacrificed in this country every year. Cows, goats, sheep, buffaloes, camels are bought for sacrifice. Animals should be bought from the market by choosing healthy, strong, and correct colors. Lets checkout the most essential factors to be consider to choose the perfect qurban cattle in this Eid-ul-Azha.

Things to know before buying sacrificial animal for Qurbani

Age

Age is a very important factor in the case of sacrificial animals. 

In the case of cows, the age should be two years. Usually, it is understood by looking at the teeth of the cow. Up to 5 years of age can be accurately identified by looking at the teeth of a healthy adult cow. A 2-year-old healthy cow should have two permanent incisors, four at the age of 3, six at the age of 4, and a total of eight permanent incisors at the age of five. The teeth should be intact and beautiful to look at.

For goats, the age should be at least one year. In the case of camels, the age should be five years and one year for the sheep. But if the six-month-old sheep is large and looks like one year old, it can be sacrificed.

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Health

The physical structure will be strong; the bones will have eye-catching flesh. We must buy healthy animals, but we should not buy extra healthy ones at all. The excessive healthy animal might have a history of using excess urea or harmful hormonal drugs or steroids. 

Eating meat containing steroid hormones can damage the kidneys, liver, and other sensitive organs of people and can lead to various complex diseases, including diabetes and cancer. Eating the flesh of infected animals causes the most horrific changes in the bodies of women and children. 

In case of children, obesity occurs in the early stages and later in the development of various diseases, including high cholesterol in the blood. Therefore, we should pick a healthy and fit animal. 

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How would you know if the animal is properly healthy?

- The healthy animal will chew regularly.

- Normally healthy animals do not keep their head down or their backs bent; healthy animals will be aware of the surrounding environment.

- Healthy animals will not have any laziness.

- The eyes will be bright and vibrant.

- The lips will be a little cold and wet or sweaty. Keep in mind that if the cow is fattened by consuming extra urea, the lips will remain dry due to nitrate poisoning.

- The animals will lick their nose with their tongue; no saliva will come out of their mouth. The ears and tail will move as needed.

- The body hair will be smooth and shiny. There will be no parasites such as lice on the body.

- The animal should not have any wounds or blood stains on the skin or scars from beating with a stick.

- Breathing will be normal for cows 10-30 times per minute, goats 25-35 times, and sheep 10 to 20 times.

- The animal should be able to walk normally. There will be no swollen tumor-like parts of the body. However, there will be no problem of sacrifice for those who have some birthmarks.

- If you hold food in front of the animal's mouth, a healthy animal will want to eat it. Also, if you touch it, it will react.

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The Seller Must Have Full Ownership

The Qurbani animal seller must have full ownership of the animal. If the animal is a mortgaged animal, a borrowed animal, or an animal found on the way, then the Qurbani will not be granted.

What to Do After Buying an Animal for Qurbani?

Animals are taken to the market from far places. So, it should remain very thirsty for water. But many of us fed grains, which was not the most important thing for the animal at that time. So it is much more beneficial to make saline by mixing light salt and sugar with cold water after bringing it home. The animal will be relieved of the stress.

To keep away from the disease, one should bathe the animal or spray with antiseptic or alkaline soap or potash, etc. However, it is better not to bathe the goat at night. Body water should be removed well.

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Sudden overeating can lead to indigestion and bloating for the animal. So you have to feed them little by little. In particular, the problem of flatulence in goats is due to overfeeding. Rice should not be fed in any way. Wheat and corn should be given in small quantities.

All foods should be given in fewer amounts, as cows do not eat much in new places. Cows or goats should not be fed rotten and stale food. These foods are one of the causes of stomach aches and indigestion. So, make sure you always provide fresh food.

Tips to Buy Cattle for Qurbani

First of all, when going to buy a sacrificial cow, one should take an experienced person with him who can recognize good and healthy cows properly. 

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We usually buy animals from farms or known animal farms or from the market. It is convenient to buy from farms or well-known pastoralists. Animals can be bought without fear, especially from farmers who keep their animals in a modern scientific way and provide regular vaccinations. 

The problem occurs when you go to the market, and you need to check a lot of things. However, if you notice the above-mentioned things, you can easily buy cattle from anywhere.

Final Words

The things we usually look for when buying a sacrificial animal are the animal's size, skin color, etc. But we should not forget to check the age and health of animals before purchasing. So, if you need a checklist for buying a Qurbani animal, consider this article as your guideline.

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