Russians ordered to register chickens and other poultry with the state

1 hour ago

Russians Ordered to Register Chickens and Other Poultry

In Russia, starting from September 1, private household plots keeping more than 10 poultry birds must register them with the state. According to the "Izvestia" publication, the new procedure applies not only to chickens but also to ducks, geese, turkeys, quails, guinea fowl, and ostriches.

The registration of poultry will be handled by the regional state veterinary service. A specialist will visit the farm, count the poultry, and assign them an identification number.

An individual "passport" will not be issued for each chicken or other bird. They can be registered as a group. A special digital tag will be installed at the location where the poultry is kept, and information about the owner, address, type, and number of poultry will be entered into the "Horriot" component of the "VetIS" system.

The new rules have also sparked jokes on social media. Some Russians took their chickens and roosters to the buildings of the MFC (multifunctional government services center) and filmed the "registration" process. Following this, the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision was forced to issue a separate clarification stating that there is no need to bring poultry to the MFC.

Fines have also been established for non-compliance with the rules. Individuals can be fined from 500 to 1,000 rubles, individual entrepreneurs from 3,000 to 5,000 rubles, and legal entities from 10,000 to 20,000 rubles. In some cases, the activities of entrepreneurs and organizations may also be suspended for up to 60 days.

"The requirements are not new. The obligation to register poultry with the state was established by a decree of the Russian government adopted in 2023. Those keeping more than 10 poultry birds in private households have been given until September 2026 to comply with the requirement, while those with up to 10 birds have until September 2029," the report says.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Russian State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, has called on the government to review the procedure for registering farm animals. In his opinion, it is incorrect to introduce requirements under the pretext of sanitary control without prior discussion with rural residents, deputies, and specialists.