Russia: Environmentalists call for a revision of poultry welfare standards

Russian NGO, Voice of Animals, has proposed amendments to the poultry industry's veterinary regulation, set to be enforced from 1 August 2025, aiming to improve animal welfare. The amendments include banning cruel methods of chick slaughter, increasing cage height and living area, and regulating temperature, gas composition, and dust in poultry farms. The NGO also suggests providing birds with improved lighting conditions to reduce stress and boost the immune system. These proposals, which aim to mitigate the suffering of poultry, are awaiting official response.

Voice of Animals, a Russian NGO, has prepared amendments to the draft veterinary regulation in the poultry industry, which is scheduled to come into force on 1 August 2025. The environmentalists propose a radical change in the long-neglected animal welfare standards, which currently allow for practices that many consider inhumane. The “barbaric methods” of slaughtering day-old chicks, through suffocation or freezing in plastic bags are proposed to be banned. Voice of Animals also seeks to increase the minimum allowable height of the cages and expand the living area. They explain that this step is necessary for laying hens to meet their behavioural needs and lower the risk of pecking. Banning free-range farming – a fierce debate One of the most controversial proposals is expanding walking opportunities for birds, which includes installing ramps to facilitate access to the walking area. Under the original version of the veterinary regulation, the Russian Agricultural Ministry ...