Poultry Feed Sources, Socioeconomic Factors and Constraints Facing Commercial Poultry Farmers in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State

This study assessed poultry feed sources, socioeconomic factors and constraints facing poultry farmers in Benue State, Nigeria utilizing primary data and analysed using descriptive statistics. Majority (85.56%) of the farmers were male with mean household sizes, age and mean annual income of five (5), 48yrs and N410,077=00 respectively. Among those that had formal education, primary 39% and secondary 31% had greater percentage. Larger (40%) percentage of the respondents engaged in farming as their primary occupation, while the second largest population (32%) of the respondents took civil service occupation as an alternative means of income. Most (78.89%) poultry farmers obtained their poultry feeds from feed mill companies, wholesalers (27.78%), self-miller s(60.00%), directly from farmers (64.44%) and open market (60.00%). The study concluded that poultry farmers often acquired their poultry feeds from multiple sources. The major constraints faced were associated with feed mill companies unwholesome practices. These include; feeds bought from millers were often lesser than acclaimed quantity and quality, feeds were not always in right proportion in terms of guarantee analysis, feeds were most times contaminated with impurities, high cost of feeds and diseases outbreak. It was recommended that individuals and corporate entrepreneurs should be encouraged to establish feed mills in the state in order to make this all important poultry input safe, available and affordable.