Exploring the influence of socio-demographic factors on the adoption of alternative feeds by backyard poultry farmers

Abstract

Rising feed costs continue to threaten the viability of backyard poultry farming in the Philippines, prompting increased interest in sustainable and locally available feed alternatives. Although various indigenous feed resources have been identified, their adoption among smallholder farmers remains inconsistent. This study examined the influence of socio-demographic factors on the adoption of indigenous feed alternatives among backyard poultry farmers in Zamboanga del Sur. A total of 185 respondents were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, Spearman’s rank correlation, and multiple linear regression. Results showed that while feed adoption was generally practiced, socio-demographic variables such as age, gender, education, and marital status had limited influence. However, breed of chicken and number of chickens raised were found to be significant predictors, with native chicken raisers more likely to adopt local feed alternatives. These findings suggest that adoption is shaped more by practical, farm-level conditions than by personal characteristics. Extension efforts should therefore prioritize breed-appropriate feeding strategies, hands-on training, and improved access to indigenous feed resources.