The mountainous and canyonous regions in Southwest China suffer from severe soil erosion and are typical areas with fragile ecological environment in the country. Households are the main actors in responding to soil erosion. However, there is little research on how households in different zones apply farmyard manure based on the intensity of soil erosion. Based on household survey data and spatial geographic information, this paper analyzed the impact of natural conditions, agricultural and pastoral models, and socio-economic factors on the application of farmyard manure. The results showed that agricultural and pastoral models in the mountainous and canyonous regions of Southwest China exhibited significant zonal differences. Households in high mountain villages, where soil erosion was low, adopted a "grazing - rotation" model and applied less farmyard manure. Households in high half-mountain villages, where erosion was mainly slight, adopted a "summer grazing + winter supplementary feeding" model and applied more farmyard manure. Households in half-mountain villages, where soil erosion was severe, adopted a "summer grazing + pine needle bedding + supplementary feeding" model and applied a relatively high amount of manure. Households in river valley villages, where erosion was slight, had shifted to penning due to labor outflow, but still maintained a high manure application habit. Soil erosion intensity was the core driving factor for the application of farmyard manure. For each increase in erosion intensity by one grade, the application of manure increased significantly. However, agricultural and pastoral models and socio-economic factors such as labor and policies have a moderating effect on this relationship. This study finds that the differences in farmyard manure application among the four zones are the result of the combined effect of natural background, agricultural and pastoral models, and erosion pressure, providing a basis for differentiated policies for regional soil and water loss control.