Use of Pea (Pisum sativum L.) in Ruminant and Poultry Nutrition

The protein sources commonly used in concentrate feeds for dairy cows are few and include mainly soybean meal (sbm), sunflower meal, canola meal and full-fat soybean. among the alternative protein sources, peas are successfully used in ruminants and nonruminants. the pea (pisum sativum l.) has lower protein and higher starch content than sbm, and is similar to barley for starch rumen fermentability; thus, it may be considered as an interesting “dual purpose” feed for its protein and energy contents. in addition, pea silage, pea by-products and pea straw are also used as feed material in ruminant nutrition. in this paper, feeding studies conducted on pea used in nutrition of various animal species are reviewed.