Pay attention to these when choosing a sacrificial animal

Erzincan Agriculture and Forestry Provincial Directorate warned citizens who will buy sacrificial animals before the holiday about what they should pay attention to. The statement made by the Agriculture and Forestry Provincial Director Murat Şahin emphasized that ‘for an animal to be sacrificial, a sheep or goat must be one year old, a cow or bull must be two years old, and a camel must be five years old.’ Director Murat Şahin stated in his announcement that the following points should be considered when buying sacrificial animals:
– Check if the cow, bull, sheep, or goat has an ear tag.
– Avoid very thin, pregnant, or recently given birth animals.
– The animal’s fur should be smooth and shiny, with lively eyes and a healthy appearance.
– There should be no high fever, excessive salivation, or eye discharge.
– Foul-smelling diarrhea or nasal discharge should not be present.
– No coughing or difficulty in breathing should be observed.
– The animal should not exhibit extreme sensitivity or indifference to the surroundings.
– There should be no wounds, swelling, or edema.
– No foul-smelling discharge should be present in the genital organs or udder.
– For the continuity of the animal population, male animals should be preferred as sacrificial.
Director of Agriculture and Forestry Provincial Directorate Murat Şahin also issued warnings regarding determining the age of sacrificial animals: Director Şahin stated, ‘accurate farm records provide definitive results in determining the ages of animals. If there are no records, the best age determination is made by looking at the tooth development. Additionally, information on the species, breed, gender, and age of sacrificial animals can be queried through the ‘TarımCebimde’ mobile application developed by our Ministry. The presence of two fully developed permanent incisor teeth in the lower jaw of a cow or bull indicates that the animal has reached two years of age. For sheep, being older than six months and as big as its mother or an adult sheep is considered sufficient for sacrificial purposes. Goats must be one year old to be sacrificial. Like in cattle, the age determination in goats is based on the eruption of the permanent incisor milk teeth and their replacement with permanent teeth. For a camel to be sacrificial, it must have reached five years of age.’ Director Şahin stated that sacrificial animals can be slaughtered in approved slaughterhouses by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and at slaughter locations determined by the Sacrificial Services Commissions, emphasizing that sacrificial animal slaughters cannot be performed in public areas such as streets, parks, and squares.