Aussie-grown legumes in chicken meat diets could boost industry resilience and food security

In her time as the 2025 AgriFutures Gary Sansom scholar, Shay Sadr’s research into Australian-grown legumes for use in broiler (meat) chicken diets is paving the way for a more sustainable chicken meat industry – cutting reliance on imported soybean meal without reducing productivity or bird health.

Shay is entering the third year of her PhD at the University of Sydney, working within the Poultry Research Foundation. Strengthening her research through close alignment with chicken meat industry needs, she has focussed on the use of domestically-produced legumes – particularly faba beans and field peas – in chicken broiler diets as alternatives to imported soybean meal.

Australia’s current high dependence on imported soybean meal exposes the poultry industry to global price volatility. Identifying effective local alternatives could therefore improve Australia’s food security, strengthen industry resilience, and support domestic agriculture.

“I chose this research because feed is the largest cost in commercial broiler production and a major driver of environmental impact,” Shay said. “Excess dietary protein can increase nitrogen excretion, odour and greenhouse gas emissions, so improving protein efficiency offers a practical pathway to more sustainable production.”

Testing ‘ground feed’

Changing broiler diets, however, is not without its complications. Replacing soybean meal with alternative ingredients can trigger complex changes in birds, including changes in feed intake, gut function and overall performance. Therefore, Shay’s research has evaluated not only growth performance outcomes, but gut health and immune function.

“What makes this work unique is that I combine conventional performance measurements with mechanistic (cause and effect) approaches such as gene expression and transcriptomics,” she explained. “This allows me to explain not just what happens, but why it happens – information that is essential for developing feeding recommendations that maintain productivity while improving long-term sustainability.”

Using targeted gene expression analysis allows Sadr to determine not only what happens when broiler chicken diets are altered, but also better understand the biological processes driving the results.

So far, Shay has completed two major feeding studies and analysed key digestibility and nutrient utilisation. Across trials, she has measured feed intake, growth rate, body weight gain, and the feed conversion ratio, while collecting tissue and digesta samples to assess health and physiological responses.

“Together, these approaches allow me to connect dietary changes to functional shifts in the gut and metabolism, supporting stronger and more confident recommendations,” she said.

Where performance meets biology

It’s good news so far, with Shay’s results showing that faba beans and field peas can replace a substantial proportion of soybean meal without compromising overall performance. At higher replacement levels, however, the most consistent response is a reduction in feed intake, which can translate to lower body weight gain.

“This is where the gene expression and transcriptomics component becomes especially valuable. It allows me to investigate whether reduced intake is linked to changes in gut barrier integrity, immune activation or low-grade inflammatory signalling, shifts in nutrient transporter expression, or alterations in metabolic pathways that influence appetite and nutrient utilisation,” she explained.

One key lesson in Shay’s research is that performance outcomes aren’t simply determined by crude protein intake alone. Performance depends on multiple, interacting factors, such as how the protein is structured, the type and behaviours of starch and fibre, as well as how the bird’s gut responds physiologically.

The findings from Shay’s first feeding trial were published in Poultry Science, while the full gene expression analyses for both trials is underway and will form the basis of her next publications.

“My goal is to develop practical feeding strategies that reduce reliance on imported soybean meal while increasing the use of domestically sourced ingredients, without compromising bird performance or feed efficiency,” she said.

Gary Sansom scholars bring research to the real world

Shay’s research highlights how quickly poultry research can translate into real-world outcomes.

“I also value how the chicken meat industry is focusing on efficiency, welfare, sustainability and continuous improvement. Through the scholarship, I’ve especially enjoyed meeting people across the sector and seeing how the industry values my research. There’s a real sense that the work matters, economically, environmentally, and for food security,” she said.

As chicken remains Australia’s most popular source of animal protein, the AgriFutures Gary Sansom Scholarship plays an important role in validating and valuing research to support an industry that most Australians rely on for food every week. Established in honour of former AgriFutures Chicken Meat Advisory Panel Chair and Australian Chicken Meat Federation President, Gary Sansom, the scholarship encourages new people into the chicken meat industry and supports them to build a career in a thriving industry.

“The scholarship has provided several valuable opportunities, including accelerating progress in my PhD research, allowing me to advance experiments, analysis and outputs more efficiently,” Shay said. “It has created networking and mentorship opportunities, connecting me with industry leaders and researchers and helping me better understand how science translates into commercial practice.”

Shay encourages future applicants to “apply with confidence” as it’s an invaluable opportunity to kick-start their career in the chicken meat industry.

“The strongest applications clearly communicate why the research matters to industry, how the outcomes can translate into real-world impact, and your commitment to learning, collaboration and professional growth,” she said. “Scholarships like this can genuinely accelerate your research progress, expand your network, and help you grow as both a scientist and a future industry leader, supporting students who want to contribute to the Australian chicken meat industry long term, whether through research or industry‑facing roles.”

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