Buffaloes' Mud Baths Boost Meat and Milk Yields

September 16, 2026 · Tarım TV

Buffalo herds released to pastures in Sakarya are shedding external parasites and maintaining meat and milk yields thanks to mud baths taken during scorching heat.

Buffalo herds grazing in the pastures of Maksudiye Neighborhood in Sakarya's Söğütlü district head to streams and muddy water puddles to cool off as the air temperature rises. The animals, herded in the plains by shepherds, take mud baths for about 3 hours during the hottest hours of the day. Buffalo farmer Ömer Deniz stated that water and mud baths are an indispensable need for buffaloes, and the animals cool themselves by entering the water several times a day in hot weather.

Sakarya Livestock Buffalo Breeders Association Chairman Şenol Akçay explained the critical importance of mud baths for buffalo health and their benefits:

Akçay noted that regular mud baths strengthen skin health and prevent yield losses.

Sakarya Livestock Buffalo Breeders Association Chairman Şenol Akçay announced that approximately 1,500 buffaloes are raised across Sakarya, pointing to the sensitive nature of buffaloes:

Farmer Nuri Bahadır, a buffalo producer in the region, emphasized that buffalo is a strategic food source and voiced demands for the sector's future. Bahadır stated that for the sustainability of buffalo breeding, incentives for producers should be increased, the sector should be expanded, and young people, in particular, should be directed towards this field. Breeders argue that if wetland and pasture facilities are preserved, the local buffalo population will grow exponentially.

Türkçe