30/09/2026
🐄 HOW TO SELECT A DAIRY ANIMAL FROM AN OPEN MARKET?
Buying a dairy cow or buffalo is an important investment. Never select an animal only because it looks beautiful or the seller claims that it produces a lot of milk.
Before purchasing, check the following points:
🔹 1. Age
Check the animal's age preferably by examining its teeth. Avoid very old animals and prefer animals with a good production history.
🔹 2. Body Condition
The animal should be active, alert and in good body condition. Avoid extremely thin or excessively fat animals.
🔹 3. Eyes, Nose & Coat
Eyes should be bright and clear. There should be no abnormal discharge from the eyes or nose. The hair coat should look healthy and clean.
🔹 4. Udder
The udder should be well developed, soft and symmetrical, with four functional quarters. Check for swelling, hardness, lumps, wounds or abnormal areas.
🔹 5. Check for Mastitis
Milk should be examined for abnormal color, clots, flakes, blood or watery appearance. If possible, perform a proper mastitis screening test.
🔹 6. Verify Milk Production
Do not rely only on the seller's claim. Observe the animal during milking and measure the actual milk yield. Previous milk-production records are also valuable.
🔹 7. Reproductive Status
Ask about previous calvings, calving interval and reproductive history. If the animal is claimed to be pregnant, pregnancy should preferably be confirmed by a veterinarian.
🔹 8. Legs & Hooves
Observe the animal while walking. Look for lameness, abnormal gait, weak legs or unhealthy hooves.
🔹 9. General Health
Check appetite, rumination, breathing, body temperature when indicated, and signs of disease such as coughing, diarrhea, fever or unusual weakness.
🔹 10. Vaccination & Health History
Ask about vaccination, deworming, previous diseases and treatment history.
🐄 GOLDEN RULE
Don't buy a dairy animal based on appearance or claimed milk yield alone.
Evaluate:
Age + Body Condition + Udder + Milk Yield + Health + Reproductive Status + Legs & Hooves
Whenever possible, get the animal examined by a qualified veterinarian before purchase.
📌 A good dairy animal is not just a high milk producer—it should also be healthy, fertile and economically productive.
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