Stardew Valley Farm Animals 101: A Beginner’s Guide
Stardew Valley Farm Animals 101: A Beginner’s Guide
Starting your adventure in Stardew Valley, you’ll quickly discover that farming crops is just one piece of the rural life puzzle. Rearing animals is a rewarding venture that not only adds variety to your farm but also provides essential products and byproducts necessary for cooking, crafting, and completing bundles in the Community Center. This guide aims to equip beginners with everything they need to know about starting their journey into the world of Stardew Valley farm animals.
Getting Started with Farm Animals
The first step in your animal farming venture is to build a suitable home for your future friends. You’ll need to visit Robin at the Carpenter’s Shop to construct coops and barns, which house different types of animals. A coop is necessary for birds like chickens and ducks, while a barn will shelter cows, goats, and more substantial livestock. Upgrading these buildings is essential over time, as it allows you to house more animals and unlocks the ability to purchase and care for larger or more exotic species.
Types of Animals and Their Products
Each animal in Stardew Valley provides specific products or byproducts which can be collected and either sold, used in recipes, or processed further. Here’s a basic overview:
- Chickens – Lay eggs daily, which can be sold as is or made into mayonnaise with a mayonnaise machine.
- Cows – Provide milk daily, which can be sold or turned into cheese using a cheese press.
- Sheep – Grow wool every few days, which can be sheared and sold or crafted into cloth on a loom.
- Goats – Offer goat milk every other day, a more valuable variant that can similarly be turned into goat cheese.
- Ducks – Lay duck eggs less frequently than chickens but at a higher sale price. Duck eggs can also be processed into mayonnaise.
- Rabbits – Produce wool like sheep but at a less frequent rate. They also occasionally drop rabbit’s feet, a rare and valuable item.
As you progress, you’ll gain access to more exotic animals like the dinosaur, which lays dinosaur eggs that can be incubated or sold at a high price.
Caring for Your Animals
Proper animal care is crucial for maintaining a healthy and productive farm. Animals need to be fed daily, which can be accomplished with hay (purchased from Marnie or gathered with a scythe from grass on your farm) or by allowing them to graze on outdoor grass during warm months. Each animal also requires daily interaction (a simple click or tap will do) to keep happiness and productivity levels high. Lastly, ensuring that your animals are secure overnight by closing the doors to their homes will protect them from predators.
Upgrading Your Facilities
As mentioned, upgrading your animal housing not only allows you to keep more animals but also improves their overall well-being and productivity. Upgraded buildings can include auto-feed systems, which reduce the day-to-day workload of the farmer, allowing more time for other tasks. Furthermore, higher-level buildings enable the raising of larger animals or the incubation of rare animal eggs.
Maximizing Profits and Efficiency
To truly thrive in the business of animal husbandry, consider diversifying your animal stock to ensure a steady income of various products. Regular upgrades and maintenance of your facilities will keep your animals happy and healthy, thus increasing their production rates. Processing animal products before sale can significantly boost their value, making investments in machines like the mayonnaise maker and cheese press immensely beneficial.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which animals should I start with in Stardew Valley?
As a beginner, chickens are an excellent and low-maintenance choice. They require less investment upfront, and their eggs provide a steady income. Once you’re comfortable with the routine of feeding and caring for chickens, consider expanding to cows for a diversified product range.
How do I get animals to live in my barns and coops?
Once you have a coop or barn built on your farm, you’ll need to purchase animals from Marnie’s Ranch, located south of your farm. Marnie sells a variety of animals fit for each type of building you have available. Simply interact with her and choose the building you wish to fill; this initiates the animal purchasing menu.
Do animals die in Stardew Valley?
Animals do not die of old age or sickness in Stardew Valley; however, they can be attacked by wild animals if left outside overnight without protection. To prevent this, make sure to herd your animals back into their coops or barns and close the doors each night.
How can I increase my animals’ happiness and productivity?
Regular interaction, ensuring they’re well-fed, and allowing them outside to graze on nice days can significantly impact your animals’ happiness. Building heaters in barns and coops for the winter months and ensuring they’re securely inside at night also contribute to their well-being. A happy animal will produce higher quality products more frequently.
What is the most profitable animal in Stardew Valley?
This can vary based on several factors, including how you process their products and your farm’s setup. Generally, pigs, which can be raised to find truffles, are highly profitable due to the high sale price of truffles and truffle oil. However, rabbits, which produce both wool and rabbit’s feet, also represent a profitable venture considering the rarity and price of rabbit’s feet.
Is it worth upgrading the coop and barn in Stardew Valley?
Yes, upgrading your coop and barn is essential for several reasons. Upgrades allow you to house more animals, include features like the auto-feed system to decrease daily chores, and provide the ability to keep larger or different types of animals. The final tier of each building even includes an incubator, letting you hatch your own eggs into chickens or dinosaurs, reducing the need to buy new animals from Marnie.
How do seasonal changes affect animals in Stardew Valley?
Seasonal changes have several effects on animals. Most notably, animals cannot graze outside during winter, increasing the importance of having a steady hay supply. Additionally, animals will not leave their homes on rainy days. Implementing heaters in the winter keeps your animals happier and more productive during the cold season.
Can animals breed in Stardew Valley?
Yes, animals can breed but require specific conditions to do so. For chickens, ducks, and rabbits, you’ll need to have an upgraded coop with an incubator and a free slot for the new animal. Cows and goats require an upgraded barn and a male (bull or ram) introduced into the herd through purchase or an emergency quest. The breeding process can be a bit slow and unpredictable, but it provides a cost-effective way to grow your livestock numbers.
What’s the best strategy for processing animal products?
Investing in processing machines such as the cheese press, mayonnaise machine, and loom is crucial for maximizing your profits from animal products. Processed goods almost always sell for more than raw products. An effective strategy is to process all animal products before selling, while also considering the completion of Community Center bundles, which sometimes require specific goods in their raw form.
How do animals contribute to the Community Center?
Several Community Center bundles require animal products, such as the Animal Bundle in the Pantry or the Artisan Bundle, which can include cheese, goat cheese, wool, and duck eggs among others. Completing these bundles can yield useful rewards and is a critical part of restoring the Community Center, so it’s beneficial to plan your animal product harvests around these goals as well.
Embarking on the path of animal husbandry in Stardew Valley provides a rich and rewarding experience that complements traditional crop farming. With the right knowledge and preparation, beginners can quickly turn their farm into a bustling, animal-friendly enterprise that not only boosts their income but also lays down the foundation for a thriving and diverse farmstead.
