Effects of replacing soybean meal with alternative grain legumes on broiler meat quality

• Grant number: 25/22031-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 28, 2025
• End date: February 27, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: José Roberto Sartori
• Grantee: Rafael Lopes Hidalgo
• Supervisor: Timothy J Wester
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Massey University, New Zealand
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/22062-2 - Carcass yield and meat quality of broiler chickens subjected to cyclic heat stress and fed orange frit (Citrus sinensis), BP.IC

Abstract

Considering the rising costs of conventional ingredients used in broiler chicken feed, strategies that reduce costs without compromising production and meat quality have gained attention. Among these, the use of alternative grain legumes as partial or full substitutes for soybean meal stands out due to their favorable nutritional profile, local availability, and potential to promote more sustainable and cost-effective production. However, the effects of different inclusion levels on meat quality require careful evaluation. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the meat quality of broilers fed with diets in which soybean meal is replaced by a combination of five grain legumes (faba beans, lentils, lupins, chickpeas, and field peas) at different inclusion levels (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%). A total of 300 male Ross 308 chicks will be housed and distributed among five dietary treatments corresponding to the different inclusion levels. After 35 days, meat quality parameters will be assessed, including pH, color, drip loss, cooking loss, shear force, and the incidence of myopathies (white striping, woody breast, and deep pectoral myopathy), to determine the optimal balance between the replacement of soybean meal and maintenance of meat quality. The study will be carried out at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand, under the supervision of Dr. Timothy Wester. Massey University is internationally recognized for excellence in research, with advanced facilities and methodologies that will support the candidate's investigation. Dr. Wester is a leading researcher in poultry nutrition and is highly relevant to the development of this study.