<![CDATA[Kampung Unggul Balitbangtan (KUB) chickens represent a promising local poultry commodity for smallholder farmers, but their development is constrained by the high cost of commercial feed. The Sahabat Tani Farmer Group in Wae Munde Preparatory Village, Kisol, East Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, generates substantial quantities of cocoa pod husk waste that remain underutilized as a potential alternative feed ingredient. This community service program aims to assist the farmer group in processing fermented cocoa pod husks and other locally available feed ingredients into pelleted feed for KUB chickens. Implemented in December 2025 and involving 35 farmers, the program followed four stages: preparation, socialization, technical mentoring, and evaluation. Technical mentoring covered ration formulation, cocoa pod husk fermentation, pellet production, and pelleting machine operation. Program outcomes were assessed using a combination of quantitative methods, including pretest and posttest assessments, and qualitative methods based on direct observation. The results showed a substantial improvement in participants’ knowledge of the pellet production process, with the proportion of participants demonstrating an understanding of the procedure increasing from 20% before the program to 95% afterward (N-gain = 0.94). A cost analysis estimated the production cost of the pelleted feed at IDR 5,385 per kilogram, approximately 40% lower than the price of commercial feed. By the end of the program, participating farmers were also able to operate the pelleting machine independently. These findings suggest that hands-on technical mentoring can strengthen smallholder farmers’ capacity to convert agricultural waste and locally available feed ingredients into value-added feed products, potentially improving feed cost efficiency and supporting the sustainability of integrated crop–livestock farming systems.]]>
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