Modern agriculture needs new highly effi cient feed and feed additives. Sapropel is a type of finegrained and loose sediments rich in organic matter. The properties of sapropel and the sufficiently wide possibilities of its extraction make it an important natural resource that can be used mainly in agriculture. Sapropel and its processed products are environmentally safe, non-toxic, with a certain content of nutrients. Another important reason for studying sapropel is its widespread distribution and availability in freshwater reservoirs, which leads to the discovery of new ways of extraction and bioeconomically efficient use of this most valuable natural resource, available in economically significant amount with high opportunities for its use in animal husbandry. The purpose of the work was to analyze the use of sapropel as a source of nutrients in cattle feeding. In order to study the influence of sapropel on dairy productivity of cows, a scientifi c and economic experiment was carried out under the conditions of an educational and experimental farm of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “Northern Trans-Ural State Agricultural University”. It was found as a result of the experiment that when using sapropel at the doses of 250 and 500 g/head/day, there was an increase in dairy productivity of cows. Thus, milk yield during the experiment period in the 1st experimental group increased by 1,48 % compared to the control group, and in the 2nd experimental group by 7,2 %, milk quality indicators also improved. Sapropel did not have a negative influence on the health of animals, which was confirmed by hematological indicators. Therefore, the use of sapropel in cattle feeding is effective.

Iodine belongs to the vital trace elements, without which the normal functioning of the animal body is impossible. Currently, potassium iodide is mainly used in animal feeding, which is an unstable compound that decomposes during the preparation and storage of premixes and compound feed. Organic iodine, which is in a chemical bond with any organic substance has already been adapted for the animal’s body and is absorbed much better than inorganic. Also, organic iodine has a high chemical stability. SATURAN J is a feed additive for farm animals the main active ingredient of which is iodine in the organically bound form. In our case, iodine is imposed on sunflower oil. Auxiliary substances are corn porridge, corn groats and sunflower oil. Cows of the 1st experimental group were additionally fed the additive in the amount of 16,5 g/head/day, the 2nd experimental group with 27,5 g/head/day. The SATURAN J additive was fed once a day during morning feeding. There was the increase in milk productivity in the 1st experimental group by 16,3 %, and in the 2nd group by 20,1 %, compared with the control group when the input of the feed additive SATURAN J. There was also the increase in the mass fraction of milk fat. When converted to 4 % milk the difference has been increased even more and amounted to 25,6 and 35,3 %, respectively, in the experimental groups. The inclusion of SATURAN J feed additive in the ration of cows in the amount of 16,5 and 27,5 g/head/day allowed to stabilize the hormonal background of animals, increase quantitative and qualitative indicators of productivity, as well as to receive additional revenue in the amount of 16 597,8 and 21 714,9 rubles per 1 cow, respectively, in experimental groups.