Short answer. Yes. Article 1580 of the Civil Code provides that in the sale of animals with redhibitory defects, the buyer also has the right to demand a proportionate price reduction — but must exercise that right within the same period fixed for the redhibitory action. The period for both remedies is the same.
What the law says
In the sale of animals with redhibitory defects, the vendee shall also enjoy the right mentioned in article 1567; but he must make use thereof within the same period which has been fixed for the exercise of the redhibitory action.
Civil Code, Article 1580 — Quanti Minoris for Animals. Read the full provision →
Two remedies, one deadline
Article 1580 of the Civil Code addresses the buyer who purchases an animal that turns out to have a redhibitory defect — a hidden flaw that makes the animal unfit for its intended use or that significantly reduces its value. The article provides that the buyer in this situation enjoys the right stated in Article 1567: the choice between rescinding the sale or instead asking for a proportionate reduction in price. Article 1580 then adds a critical limitation: he must make use thereof within the same period which has been fixed for the exercise of the redhibitory action. Both remedies share the same prescriptive window.
What the right to a price reduction means
Article 1567 gives a buyer who has received goods with hidden defects the option to choose between two remedies: withdrawing from the contract — returning the thing and getting a refund — or demanding a proportionate reduction of the price, keeping the animal but paying less for it. This second remedy is what civil law calls the quanti minoris or actio aestimatoria action. Instead of undoing the sale entirely, the buyer stays in the transaction but seeks compensation for the diminished value that the defect represents. Either remedy comes with the further right to claim damages.
Why the period is the same for both
The Civil Code's rules on the sale of animals treat the redhibitory action and the quanti minoris action as alternatives arising from the same defect. It would be incongruous if a buyer could delay a price-reduction claim beyond the period allowed for rescission — the defect and the animal are the same in both cases, and the seller's exposure should not be extended simply because the buyer chose the lesser remedy. By tying both remedies to the same period, Article 1580 ensures that buyers who discover a defect must act promptly, regardless of which form of relief they ultimately decide to pursue.
Practical consequences
If you have purchased an animal that you believe has a redhibitory defect and you want a price reduction rather than rescission, you must bring your claim within the applicable period for the redhibitory action for animal sales. Waiting past that period — even if you are still within what you might think is a general limitation period — will extinguish both the redhibitory action and the quanti minoris action simultaneously. The prompt discovery of a defect in a sold animal and the timely exercise of your chosen remedy are both essential to preserving your right to relief.