The document will come into force on March 1, 2024, and will be valid until March 1, 2030.
The list of animals subject to marking and registration includes, in particular:
- cattle, including zebras, buffaloes, and yaks;
- horses, donkeys, mules, and hinnies;
- camels;
- bees;
- pigs;
- sheep and goats;
- poultry (including chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl, quail, and ostriches);
- deer;
- fur-bearing animals (including foxes, sables, minks, ferrets, arctic foxes, raccoon dogs, and nutrias);
- rabbits;
- fisheries and aquaculture;
- service animals.
The document specifies identification requirements for different animals, including whether they are subject to individual or group marking and the date by which they must be registered. For instance, horses and camels should be identified individually, and bees are subject to group marking.
Pigs should be identified as a group. However, breeding or backyard farm animals are subject to individual marking. The same is true for sheep and goats. Chickens, ducks, turkeys, and other poultry should also be identified as a group. However, they can be marked individually at the request of the owner.
When do animals have to be registered?
For different animals, the registration deadline is set. Thus, cattle and horses have to be registered by September 1, 2024. However, for backyard farm horses, the period was extended till March 1, 2025.
The extended registration period also applies to backyard farmers who keep chickens, ducks, turkeys, and other kinds of poultry. Poultry farms have to mark the entire flock no later than September 1, 2024. At the same time, backyard farms growing more than 10 birds have to register them by September 1, 2026. For smaller households with a flock of less than 10 birds, the registration period was extended until September 1, 2029.
Pigs have to be registered by September 1, 2024. Bees must be marked by September 1, 2025.
According to the law, the registration of animals is carried out free of charge by veterinary specialists.
Each animal will be given a unique code that will be valid throughout its life.
The animal identification system Horriot has been developed and launched by the Rosselkhoznadzor. The system currently contains individual records on more than 2,1 million animals and 33,000 group records. Group records include about 1 billion birds, fish, and bees, as specified by the Rosselkhoznadzor. It has been noted that currently, farmers submit data to Horriot voluntarily.
About the new animal identification law
The law No. 221-FZ of June 28, 2022, will come into force on September 1, 2023. The document introduces amendments to the law on veterinary medicine and makes the tagging and registration of farm animals mandatory. According to the law, identification of livestock will become mandatory no earlier than March 1, 2024.
The secondary legislation is currently being developed and authorized.
It should be noted that, according to this law, pets are not subject to mandatory identification and registration.
