Approaching Eid Al Adha, Choosing a Sacrificial Animal Based on Strict Health and Physiological Criteria
As Eid Al Adha approaches, the selection of a sacrificial animal is guided by strict health and physiological criteria. Between veterinary recommendations for identifying a healthy animal and denouncing the speculative circuits that drive up prices, Dr. Aymen Bhouri provides a comprehensive overview.
In an interview with Radio Nationale, Dr. Aymen Bhouri, a veterinarian, shared key elements to guide consumers in choosing a healthy sacrificial sheep. He emphasized the importance of purchasing from official sales points (Rahba), which are better structured, regulated, and subject to rigorous veterinary control.
If this is not possible, it is recommended to buy from a known and trusted breeder. "During the initial visual inspection, the buyer must ensure that the animal stands firmly on its four legs, rises easily with coordinated movements, and exhibits a vigilant behavior while eating normally," Dr. Bhouri advises.
He adds that "for organoleptic reasons and to ensure optimal quality meat, it is recommended to choose an animal aged six to twenty-four months, with a lively temperament that prompts the sheep to dispute its food with its peers, which is an excellent indicator of vitality. Conversely, it is strongly recommended to avoid animals that are constantly drowsy, immobile, or isolated from the flock."
In-Depth Examination
"Once the initial choice is made, the animal's examination must be done in a more thorough and detailed manner. The buyer must then verify that the sheep has clear and bright eyes, free of any redness, tears, or secretions. Its nose should be slightly moist but clean, and its breathing should be calm, at a normal rate, without difficulty or wheezing," the specialist recommends.
He adds: "The buyer must also ensure that the animal does not cough or sneeze abnormally. The next step is to open the animal's mouth to confirm its age, knowing that a sheep under one year has a complete, equal, and small-sized dentition, while an animal over two years will have broken or fallen teeth. This oral examination also allows for the control of the state of the gums, which should be pink and free of any lesions. Pale gums reveal a probable anemia, while a yellowish tint indicates that the sheep suffers from hepatitis."
Comprehensive Inspection
The next part of the physical inspection concerns the animal's overall bodily condition. "The belly should not be swollen. The animal should be able to ruminate correctly, and its wool should not show any signs of diarrhea, nor be torn or creased. Similarly, its skin should be healthy and free of any lesions related to scabies, while its face and body should be free of edema or abscesses," Dr. Bhouri insists.
The final essential control, he notes, is the evaluation of the animal's weight. To do this, it is sufficient to slide one's hand along the sheep's spine. If the vertebrae are felt too prominently, the animal is too thin, while if they are difficult to perceive, the animal is excessively fat. The ideal is to feel the bony structure distinctly, but enveloped in a good layer of meat.
Cherished Prices
Beyond purely sanitary aspects, Dr. Aymen Bhouri strongly denounced the exorbitant prices practiced on the market. He pointed out that the arguments advanced by sellers and resellers, such as the increase in the cost of fertilizers, do not justify such a surge in prices, especially since the breeder's profit margin remains comfortable.
The veterinarian regrets that, to the great detriment of the ordinary citizen, the producer is rarely the direct interlocutor of the consumer. "On sales points, the public faces a succession of commercial intermediaries. This speculative circuit begins when the breeder sells his herd in bulk to a first buyer, who resells it to a second after increasing the price, the latter applying a new increase before selling it to other merchants.
In total, the same sheep changes hands three to four times before reaching the final consumer. Each link in the chain takes a profit margin! This phenomenon generates a shocking increase in the final price, which can sometimes exceed 1,000 dinars the initial price set by the breeder," concludes the specialist.
