Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa that hisfather, Urwa ibn az-Zubayr made an aqiqa for his male and femalechildren of a sheep each.Malik said, "What we do about theaqiqa is that if someone makes an aqiqa for his children, he gives asheep for both male and female. The aqiqa is not obligatory but it isdesirable to do it, and people continue to come to us about it. Ifsomeone makes an aqiqa for his children, the same rules apply as withall sacrificial animals - one-eyed, emaciated, injured, or sickanimals must not be used, and neither the meat or the skin is to besold. The bones are broken and the family eat the meat and give someof it away as sadaqa. The child is not smeared with any of the blood.''
USC-MSA web (English) reference: Book 26, Hadith 7
Arabic reference: Book 26, Hadith 1076