The Russian Agricultural Ministry has released a draft of new veterinary rules that could significantly restrict free-range farming. The regulations would forbid free-range farming for companies with over 1,000 poultry and large farms housing 50 to 1,000 birds. However, small backyard and organic farms are exempt from the ban. The rules, set to take effect on September 1, 2025, stipulate that free-range areas must be isolated and equipped with manholes for bird access. Organic farms are allowed to maintain free-range poultry, but they must ensure their lands are fenced and protected from unauthorized entry and wildlife. These regulations are a compromise between industrial farms' demands for a complete ban due to bird flu concerns and small-scale farmers' opposition to the initial proposed ban, which threatened to disrupt the Russian poultry market and cause social unrest.