UNAIR NEWS – The 10th of Dzulhijja or right on 22nd of August 2018 is the Eid al-Adha or Idul Kurban day. Idul Kurban is a celebration that brings broad meaning to Muslims. Muslims are allowed to slaughter sacrificial animals as a form of obedience to Allah SWT and as social responsibility to the community.
One of the most important conditions in carrying out sacrifice is to provide legitimate sacrificial animals based on Islamic quality with good quality. Regarding this, UNAIR NEWS summarizes the tips in choosing good qurban animals in accordance with Islamic law. The resource person for this topic is Dr. Trilas Sardjito, drh., M.Si, the chairman of Universitas Airlangga Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (FKH) Teaching Farm.
- Minimum Age of Animals
The first aspect in choosing good sacrificial animals is the age of sacrificial animals. Legally, the qurban animals such as goats and sheep must at least a year old while cows and buffaloes must be two years old.
“Another way to find out is looking at animal teeth. “The approved animal is marked by a change of teeth, that is if the two front teeth fell out,” he explained.
- Animal Body Shape
The second aspect is the body shape, it should not be deformed. Animals to be sacrificed must be checked for body length, height, harmony, and defect. The animal should be in normal condition. In addition, the sacrificial animal’s backbone should be flat or straight, the horns are balanced, and the legs are symmetrical.
“Other characteristic, the animal’s posture has ideal combination of stomach, front and back legs, head and neck,” he added.
- Animal Health
The third aspect is animal health. The characteristics of physically healthy animals are active and reactive animals when approached by someone. Healthy animals will be agile, strong, vibrant, not limp, not agitated, and with good appetite.
Furthermore, healthy animals also have fine hair that is shiny and does not fall off easily. The hair also does not stand up and changes color. The animal skin is also free from skin parasites such as mites, ticks, fleas, and so on.
“Be aware, if the animal’s skin looks dull and the body is thin, it means that the animal has worms,” he added.
The disease that often occurs in sacrificial animals is fatigue that can occur due to the distribution process. Sacrificial animals also often experience diarrhea and three-day fever or BOVINE Ephemeral Fever (BEF). They must also be free of scabies.
- Animal Weight Percentage
The last aspect is the percentage of carcass weight. Carcass is part of livestock after slaughtered which consists of meat and bones, without head, feet, skin and innards. Carcass is calculated based on the weight of the animal while still alive. As a reference, PO cattle (Ongole breeds) must have carcass weight of 40-45 percent, Bali cattle 52-55 percent, Madura cattle 46-48 percent, limousine cattle 52 percent, and simmental breed cattle 51 percent. (*)
Author: M. Najib Rahman
Editor: Binti Q. Masruroh
