DOI - Mendel University Press

DOI identifiers

DOI: 10.11118/nutrinet2026_002

EFFECT OF PEA PROTEIN ON BROILER PERFORMANCE

Lukáą Čumplík1, Jakub Novotný1, Dana Záleąáková1, Izabela Helena Neradová1, Lenka Kudlová1, Ondřej ©»astník1
1 Department of Animal Nutrition and Forage Production, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, Czech Republic

The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effect of incorporating pea protein into broiler diets on growth, feed intake, feed conversion, yield, and the parameters of the main meat cuts. Pea protein was incorporated into the diets as a substitute for soybean meal. The cultivation of soybeans and their import into Europe currently appear problematic from an environmental perspective; therefore, alternative protein sources are being sought to reduce the use of soybeans in animal diets. The experiment included 128 Ross 308 broilers, which were fattened for 36 days. Four groups were formed—a control group (K) and three experimental groups, which were fed a diet containing pea protein that replaced soybean meal at levels of 25 % (H25), 50 % (H50), and 100 % (H100). The highest slaughter weight was recorded in the H50 group, at 2,179 g, while the lowest slaughter weight of 1,715 g was found in the H100 group (P < 0.05). Likewise, the highest average weight gain was observed in the H50 group, and the lowest average weight gain in the H100 group (P < 0.05). Neither feed intake nor feed conversion was affected by the inclusion of pea protein in the broiler diets (P > 0.05). In the H100 group, there was a decrease in yield compared to the other groups (P < 0.05) as well as a reduction in breast weight, which was also reflected in the breast percentage of slaughter weight (P < 0.05). Conversely, the lowest proportion of thighs in broiler body weight was measured in the H50 group and the highest in the H100 group (P < 0.05). The results indicate that incorporating pea protein into broiler feed formulations is feasible and may even have a positive effect on certain production parameters. However, replacing soybean meal with pea protein in the diets may impair growth and broiler carcass quality parameters.

Keywords: alternative protein source; carcass; fattening; animal nutrition; poultry; Ross 308

pages: 16-24, online: 2026



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