Russians mock new rule ordering owners to register their chickens

A Russian government decree requiring owners of chickens, camels, reindeer and similar animals to register them took effect on Tuesday, triggering widespread mockery online and a brief administrative scramble as people began arriving at government service centres with live poultry in hand.

Social media videos showed residents queuing with chickens, taking numbered tickets and waiting at service counters, with some even dressing up their birds for the occasion. Commentators likened the scenes to the satirical bureaucratic absurdities depicted in the works of writer Nikolai Gogol.

One widely circulated video featured a chicken owner joking about whether a chicken's death should be reported to police as a potential case of aggravated murder, imagining officers overwhelmed with cases and chasing foxes or weasels using sketches of the victims. Others online mockingly asked whether chickens would need death certificates or whether owners could claim maternity payments for new chicks, referencing Russia's state birth-support programme.

Offices change course

Multifunctional service centres in Kabardino-Balkaria — local offices normally handling tasks like passport issuance and property registration — announced on Wednesday morning that they would no longer process animal registrations, redirecting chicken owners to the regional veterinary authority instead.

Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance subsequently clarified that owners are not required to bring animals anywhere. Instead, a veterinary officer will visit the property, count the animals and assign them an identification number.

What the decree requires

Under the rules, farmers with more than 10 domestic birds — including chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl, quails and ostriches — must register them starting 1 September this year, while smaller holdings have until 1 September 2029. All camels and reindeer must be registered immediately.

Registered animals are entered into the federal Horriot database, recording species, breed, colour, sex, purpose and owner. For birds, the identification number covers the whole flock rather than individual animals.

Non-compliance carries fines of up to 1,000 roubles (about €10) for individuals and up to 20,000 roubles (about €200) for businesses, which also risk a 60-day suspension of operations. Authorities said the register aims to help track disease outbreaks and verify the origin of food products. The decree's practical details were not clearly communicated before taking effect, contributing to the confusion.