This article presents the results of a study to improve the productivity of Volgograd fine-wool meat-wool sheep by crossing their ewes with North Caucasian and Merinolandschaf rams. A comparative analysis of crossbred animals and purebred Volgograd fine-wool meat-wool sheep is conducted. The study found a positive effect of crossbreeding on key productivity indicators in the crossbred animals.

The influence of sheep breed on the sex ra- tio of offspring was studied. Data from 6,927 lambs from Dorper, Romanov, and Edilbaevskaya ewes were analysed. The overall sex ratio was 49.6% male lambs and 50.4% fe- male lambs, corresponding to the theoretical parity of 1:1. Al- though fluctuations were observed in individual breeds (57.0% male lambs in Edilbaevskaya versus 42.3% in Romanov), no statistically significant relationship was found (p=0.149). Breed is not a significant factor in determining the sex of off- spring. Further research on other factors is needed to explain the variability.

The article presents the results of studying the chemical composition of an average sample of meat (minced meat) of sheep (group I), boulders (group II) and yarrows (group III) of the Romanov breed. It was found that due to sexual dimorphism, the sheep were distinguished by the lowest mass fraction of dry matter and extracted fat in the average sample of the meat of the maximum yarochka, the boulders occupied an intermediate position.

Feeding rations for purebred and crossbred karachai goats are shown, as well as the dynamics of body weight from birth to 7 months of age. A significant increase in daily gains in crossbred young goats (from 28.7 to 42.5%) and a reduction in feed costs per 1 kg of weight gain were observed.

The article presents the results of the industrial implementation of a two-stream Saanen goat weaning system for year-round milk production. An experiment on 264 goats revealed that with autumn weaning (with hormonal synchronization), conception rate decreases by 2.5 times (37% versus 93%), but fertility remains unchanged. Milk yield is 11% lower (743.6±18.5 kg versus 835.2±15.8 kg). The fat and protein content in milk is significantly higher (4.10% and 3.40% versus 3.72% and 3.10%). This increased the suitability of raw milk for cheese making. The yield of «Boudonni» cheese increased by 14.3%. It is economically viable to use milk from autumn weaning for cheese making, which is confirmed by awards at Russian and international exhibitions. The two-stream system is a scientifically substantiated solution for organizing year-round milk production.

The article presents a comprehensive analysis of the economic efficiency of mutton production in the Russian Federation. Modern trends in the development of sheep farming are considered, including the dynamics of livestock, production volumes and factors determining the profitability of the industry. Special attention is paid to regional aspects, in particular, the role of the North Caucasus Federal District as the main producer of mutton in the country. The price situation in the domestic market and the export potential of Russian mutton are analyzed. The key problems hindering efficiency growth have been identified, including the disparity in feed prices, the lack of a developed wool processing system, a low share of industrial production and a shortage of personnel. Based on statistical data and research results, economic efficiency indicators for various categories of farms have been calculated. The directions of increasing the profitability of production are proposed, including improving breeding work, optimizing the feed base and developing processing capacities.

The article is devoted to the development of a recipe and technology for the preparation of minced meat semi–finished products from goat meat and poultry meat with the addition of a food additive consisting of wild onions, lingonberries and a fortifying agent – pine nuts. Recently, various auxiliary ingredients have been added to the formulations of many chopped semi-finished products to improve the taste, smell, appearance and biological value of the product. The manufacturer thus expands the product range and attracts new consumers. In the course of the research, the chemical composition of the average sample of cutlets, the nutritional value of cutlets and the yield of finished products after heat treatment were determined, an organoleptic assessment was carried out and the energy value of the product was calculated, as well as the profitability of the production of minced meat semi-finished products using food additives and fortifiers was determined. The research results have shown that the addition of a food additive and a fortifying agent in an amount of 4% to minced meat contributes to an increase in the yield of the finished product, improving the nutritional and energy value of the finished chopped semi-finished products. Calculations of the economic efficiency of the production of natural meat semi-finished products using the developed formulation and an additive with a fortifier based on local raw materials showed that the highest profitability of 14.2% was obtained when adding 2% of an additive with a fortifier to minced meat, which is 1.4% higher than the base sample.

The results of testing the fiber diameter and standard deviation pedigree rams of ZaBaikal breed in an agriculturalenterprises of the Zabaikal Territory and the Republic of Buryatia are presented. The testing was carried out in the wool testing laboratory at the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution VNIIPlem. A small variability of fiber diameter and standard deviation of wool was established between the breeding flocks, and the rams met the desired type of sheep breed.

The article provides an information and analytical review of the problems of the sectoral and regional economics of the wool business. National projects and initiatives of various departments on digitalization have been reviewed, which will help develop the right strategy for the development of the industry for the period up to 2030, with step-by-step indicators for increasing the number of sheep.

The article presents the results of evaluating the efficiency of extensive rearing of Zaanen buck kids obtained during traditional spring and induced autumn kidding. The aim of the research was to determine the possibility of obtaining marketable goat meat without special fattening under a dual-flow kidding system. The scientific and economic experiment was conducted on 20 animals, divided by birth season into two groups (n=10). It was found that with extensive feeding technology (pasture + hay + 0.2-0.3 kg of concentrates), spring-kidding buck kids by 7 months of age had a significantly higher pre-slaughter live weight (+7.6%, 33.9 kg vs. 31.5 kg) and carcass weight (+11.0%, 13.8 kg vs. 12.5 kg) compared to autumn-kidding peers, which is due to the favorable grazing period. The main limiting factor for autumn-born young stock was the deficiency of energy and protein in the winter diet based on hay (0.99 Feed Unit, 97.5 g of digestible protein). Based on the results, an optimized diet for indoor rearing has been developed, which increases energy supply by 64% (to 1.52 Feed Unit) and protein level by 2.3 times (to 227 g), allowing to mitigate seasonal differences in productivity. It is concluded that extensive rearing of buck kids from both seasons is technologically feasible as an additional source of income in a year-round milk production system.

The research is aimed at identifying the degree of influence of the feed additive “Proteinfood” on the morphological and biochemical parameters of the blood of sheep of Dagestan rock. The object of research was clinically healthy animals (n=60), 15 animals each in the 1-4 months old group. The experimental work was carried out in the agricultural enterprise “Agrofirma Shamgoda” of the Gunibsky district of the Republic of Dagestan. The animals of the control group were on the main diet (RR) adopted by the farm: mixed grass hay, mixed feed, prebiotic feed additive “LactuVet”, mineral fertilizers. In the analogues of the experimental groups, sunflower meal was replaced with high-protein CD “Proteinfood” in quantities of 3.0, 5.0 and 7.0%. It was found that in the blood of young sheep of the experimental groups, there is an increase in hemoglobin by 1.04, 3.20 and 7.30% (p<0.05), the content of erythrocytes by 15.8 (p<0.01), 16.2 (p<0.01) and 16.3% (p<0.01) compared with the control group. The value of the protein coefficient of the blood of sheep in the experimental groups exceeded this indicator in the analogues of the control group – by 3.1%; 7.7% (p<0.05) and 6.1% (p<0.05). In the blood serum of experimental animals, there was a tendency to increase glucose levels by 2.9%; 11.8% (p<0.01) and 14.7% (p<0.01).

The article presents the data of experimental analysis of nutrient digestibility of forage soya wastes (chaff, husks and substandard beans) as an alternative feed resource in the diet of sheep. The results justify the inclusion of soybean waste in sheep diets at a level of 50% of concentrates to optimize rumen digestion, reduce feeding costs and increase animal productivity in conditions of roughage deficiency.

A comprehensive study of early pregnancy in Romanov ewes, including a reflexology method, rapid pregnancy testing using the PAG protein, and ultrasound scanning, confirmed their high effectiveness. However, laboratory pregnancy diagnostics using rapid tests PAG using blood samples is the earliest method (18 to 21 days after insemination), but requires additional costs and veterinary expertise. Ultrasound scanning using the CHINSON SONOTOUCH 60 OB device serves as the final confirmation and determination of the exact pregnancy date, as well as for monitoring fetal development. This diagnostic method becomes informative in ewes starting from 30-40 days after insemination, but requires specialized equipment and qualified veterinary specialists to perform the procedure and interpret the results.