Catching Chickens In Stardew Valley: Tips And Tricks

In Stardew Valley, chickens are a farm animal that can be purchased at Marnie's Ranch for 800g or hatched by placing an egg in an incubator. They are a great source of income as they produce eggs, but they need to be fed hay, which can be bought or harvested from grass. To catch a chicken, players need to ensure they do not close the coop door, as chickens will teleport back inside if the gate is closed. They can be left to graze outside the coop, but players must ensure they are shut indoors before nightfall to prevent them from being eaten by wolves.

Chickens can be purchased at Marnie's Ranch for 800g

In Stardew Valley, chickens are farm animals that live in a coop. They can be purchased at Marnie's Ranch for 800g. Alternatively, chickens can be hatched by placing an egg into an incubator, which takes 9,000m (5d 16h 40m) to incubate, or 4,500m (2d 21h 40m) with the Coopmaster Profession.

To get started with raising chickens, you must first build a coop that can house up to four chickens. You can purchase the farm building from Robin for 4,000 gold, 100 stone, and 300 wood. Once the coop is built, you can purchase a chicken from Marnie. Chickens who eat every day will mature after 3 nights. A mature and fed chicken will produce a white or brown egg every day, which can be placed in an incubator to hatch another chicken or sold for 50g.

Chickens can only be fed hay, which can be purchased from Marnie or harvested from grass using a scythe. To feed the chickens, place the hay on the bench at the back of the coop, and they will consume it on their own. It is recommended to construct a silo on your farm, as grass does not grow in winter. To purchase a silo from Robin, you will need 100 gold, 100 stone, 10 clay, and 5 copper bars.

Additionally, two chickens are present on the farm by default on the Meadowlands Farm Map. After seeing Shane's 8-heart event, each chicken you purchase from Marnie has a 25% chance of being blue. Blue chickens are identical to regular white and brown chickens, except they are easier to spot in a field of grass.

They can also be hatched by placing an egg in an incubator

Chickens in Stardew Valley can be purchased at Marnie's Ranch for 800g, or you can obtain them by hatching an egg in an incubator. This method takes 9,000m (5d 16h 40m) to incubate, or 4,500m (2d 21h 40m) with the Coopmaster Profession.

To use the incubator, you must first obtain an egg. Well-cared-for adult chickens lay eggs every day, which can be collected each morning. These eggs can be crafted into various artisan goods and cooking products, or they can be placed in an incubator to hatch another chicken.

The incubator is a tool that comes with the Big Coop and the Deluxe Coop, appearing to the left of the hay hopper. To use the incubator, place an egg into it by right-clicking or left-clicking, depending on the source. Once an egg is placed in the incubator, it cannot be removed unless the coop is at capacity. If the coop is at capacity (8 animals for a Big Coop, 12 for a Deluxe Coop), the egg won't hatch until a space is freed up by selling or moving an animal.

It's important to note that different types of chickens lay different coloured eggs. White and blue chickens produce white eggs, while brown chickens produce brown eggs. This distinction is important for completing the Community Center Bundles, especially if Remixed Bundles is not chosen at the start of the game.

In addition to chicken eggs, players can use incubators to hatch duck, ostrich, and even dinosaur eggs, making incubators an incredibly useful tool for farmers in Stardew Valley.

Hay is needed to feed chickens, which can be bought or harvested from grass

In Stardew Valley, chickens are a type of animal that dwells in coops and can be purchased from Marnie's Ranch for 800 gold each. To keep your chickens happy and producing eggs, they need to be fed and require social interaction once a day.

To ensure a sustainable supply of hay, it is recommended to construct a Silo on your farm, as grass does not grow in winter. You can purchase a Silo from Robin for 100 gold, 100 stone, 10 clay, and 5 copper bars. Once you have a Silo, you can harvest hay from grass using a scythe. The hay will automatically be moved to the Silo, and you can then withdraw it from the hay hopper inside your coop and place it on the feeding bench.

If you prefer to let your chickens feed on grass, you can open the door of their coop and let them roam free to find grass to eat. However, keep in mind that grass does not grow in winter, so you will need to have hay as a backup option during this season. To ensure a sustainable grass supply, you can plant grass starters outside and let them spread, or build a fence around the front of the coop and plant grass starters within it.

Construct a Silo on your farm to store hay as grass doesn't grow in winter

In Stardew Valley, you can construct a Silo on your farm to store hay as grass doesn't grow in winter. Silos are a type of farm building that can be purchased from Robin at the Carpenter's Shop. It takes two days for Robin to construct the Silo, which can store up to 240 hay. The Silo automatically stores hay when you cut grass on your farm with a scythe, converting the grass into hay. You can check the current amount of stored hay by interacting with the Silo or at the Farm Computer.

To avoid having to purchase hay in the winter, ensure that your Silo is filled near the end of fall, as animals will rely entirely on hay during this season. Each silo can feed 9 animals, so plan accordingly. Alternatively, hay can be stored in a chest instead of a Silo, which can be accessed through the Hay Hopper.

Historically, hay was stored in various ways, including haystacks, hay barracks, sheds, barns, and hay-drying sheds. Hay barracks, associated with New York's Dutch settlers, featured open-sided structures with wooden posts supporting a thatched roof that could be raised or lowered to protect the hay. In the late 1880s, the first round tower silo, known as the "Steele Silo," was constructed by John Steele. Today, farmers use tower silos made of concrete, fiberglass, or metal panels, as well as bunker silos and silage piles for storing hay and silage.

To let chickens graze outside, don't close the coop door

To let your chickens graze outside, don't close the coop door. This will allow them to roam freely and forage for food, reducing the amount of hay you need to feed them.

Chickens in Stardew Valley can be purchased at Marnie's Ranch for 800g or hatched by placing an egg in an incubator, taking 9,000 minutes (5 days, 16 hours, and 40 minutes) to incubate, or 4,500 minutes (2 days, 21 hours, and 40 minutes) with the Coopmaster Profession. They can also be obtained by selecting the Meadowlands Farm Map, which includes two chickens by default.

It is important to note that while keeping the coop door open allows chickens to graze and saves on hay costs, there are potential risks involved. Wolves may attack chickens left outside overnight, so it is recommended to shut them indoors before bedtime. Additionally, some players have reported that leaving the coop door open may cause chickens to teleport" back inside, and they may not come back out the next day if the door remains closed.

To ensure your chickens have enough food, it is recommended to let the grass grow and only cut it on the last day of the season. Constructing a silo on your farm is also beneficial, as it automatically transfers hay to the coop when upgraded to the Deluxe Coop, saving time and effort.

By implementing these strategies, you can effectively manage your chickens in Stardew Valley, allowing them to graze outside while also minimizing potential risks and ensuring a sufficient food supply.

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