Several years ago, there was a notable investment in pea processing for the plant-based protein industry, including the construction of a multimillion-dollar facility in Manitoba. This development led to discussions about expanding pea cultivation in Western Canada and the potential use of pea byproducts in livestock feed. However, the market has since experienced a slowdown, with some companies facing bankruptcy. Despite this, the potential of field peas as a feed option for lactating dairy cows remains worth exploring, particularly in terms of local availability, nutrition, and economic viability.
Geographic Variability: Field peas are grown more extensively in the western provinces than in the eastern Prairies. For instance, in 2023, Manitoba cultivated approximately 160,000 acres of peas, compared to 1.5 million acres of soybeans. In contrast, Saskatchewan and Alberta grew 1.6 million and 1.3 million acres of peas, respectively, while planting significantly fewer soybeans. Despite this regional variation, the nutritional value of field peas for dairy cows continues to be an area of interest.
Nutritional Value: Field peas can serve as a reliable source of dietary energy and protein for dairy cows. They contain around 52% starch, compared to 72% in corn and 60% in barley, supporting steady milk production. Peas also provide about 22-24% crude protein, higher than grains like corn and barley but lower than soybean and canola meals. Since pea protein is highly degradable in the rumen, it may need to be supplemented with more rumen-undegradable protein sources, such as DDGS, in dairy cow diets.
Feed Substitution: In a corn silage-based diet for dairy cows producing 40 kg of milk, one kilogram of peas can effectively replace half a kilogram of barley and half a kilogram of soybean meal, with little impact on feed cost or milk production. In this case, the cost difference was minimal—only four cents per cow per day ($9.80 for the control diet versus $9.84 with peas). Dairy farmers can adjust these calculations based on their specific feed costs.
A dairy farmer who cultivates 1,500 acres of field peas found similar results when substituting ground peas for soybean meal and barley in his cows’ diet. Although the cows took some time to adjust, and a few experienced mild bloating, there were no significant changes in milk production or feed costs.
In summary, field peas remain a viable alternative to common feedstuffs for dairy cows. While the pea processing market has slowed, a future resurgence in the industry could encourage more dairy producers across the Canadian Prairies to consider incorporating peas into their feed programs.
