New Feed Research Could Open Up Two More Markets for Canadian Peas

For Canadian pulse growers, every new use for peas in animal feed is another source of demand for what they grow. Two research trials funded by Pulse Canada and completed this year in the growing Indo-Pacific region point to real opportunity — one in egg-laying hens, the other in shrimp farming. Both found that Canadian peas held their own against the ingredients they replaced and even provided some additional benefits.

Peas Improve Egg Quality and Immune Health

At Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Thailand, researchers fed egg-laying hens diets containing Canadian yellow peas in place of corn and soybean meal, at levels up to nearly a quarter of the total feed, over a 12-week trial. The hens laid just as many eggs, ate just as much, and gained weight normally, even at the highest rate of pea inclusio. In other words, peas can replace up to 24 percent of a hen's regular diet with no drop in performance.

The results got more interesting from there. Hens on the highest-pea diet laid eggs with noticeably heavier yolks, and blood tests showed fewer signs of inflammation and stress in those birds — a sign the diet may actually be easier on the hens, not just neutral. The benefits also grew stronger as the hens aged, suggesting peas could be especially useful later in a flock's laying cycle, when performance normally starts to slip.

"What this tells growers is that peas aren’t just a filler ingredient in poultry feed — they can genuinely improve outcomes for the bird and the egg,” said Denis Tremorin, Director of Feed at Pulse Canada. “That’s a stronger case to bring to poultry nutritionists here in Canada and in export markets.”

Pea Starch-Rich Flour Boosts Shrimp Immune and Gut Health

The second trial, done at the University of the Philippines Visayas and recently published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, tested a starch-rich flour made from Canadian peas as a full replacement for wheat flour in shrimp feed. Wheat flour is a standard ingredient in shrimp farming worldwide, but it has become more expensive and harder to source reliably, so the industry is actively looking for alternatives.

The results of the study were positive. Shrimp on the pea starch-rich flour diet grew just as well, survived just as well, and the feed pellets held together just as well as the standard diet. They also showed stronger immune activity, with no signs of stress or digestive harm. In fact, they developed taller, more slender intestinal villi — the folds in the gut lining responsible for nutrient absorption — pointing to a healthier gut and even more absorptive capacity. In a farmed species where feed reliability and animal health directly affect a farmer's bottom line, that combination is hard to ignore.

“Aquaculture buyers were already looking for alternatives to wheat flour because of price and supply pressure,” said Tremorin. “This trial demonstrates that Canadian pea starch-rich flour is a viable alternative to wheat flour, and there are potential real health benefits to its use in shrimp feed applications. That’s a new export opportunity for Canadian pea processors, and a new customer base outside our traditional markets.”

Why This Matters

Both trials point in the same direction: Canadian peas are proving themselves in new markets and species, from poultry barns in Thailand to shrimp farms in the Philippines. For growers, that means more export destinations at a time when market diversification is top of mind. For federal policymakers and elected officials, it's further evidence of the return on investing in Canadian pulse research and market development — new, science-backed demand for a crop already grown across the Prairies, strengthening Canada's position as a reliable global supplier of high-quality, sustainable protein and feed ingredients.

Sources: Yellow Peas in Layer Hen Diets (Kasetsart University, Bangkok); Pea Starch Concentrate in Shrimp Diets, published as Pagapulan et al. (2026), Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, doi:10.1825738. Full trial summaries available from Pulse Canada.