Stardew Valley Animals Guide — Raising Livestock from A to Z (1.6)
Chickens, cows, pigs, goats — raising livestock in Stardew Valley 1.6. Building costs, feeding, friendship, Auto-Grabber, and profit per animal.
Livestock in Stardew Valley isn't decoration — it's passive income from early to late game. A barn of 12 cows with an Auto-Grabber can generate 10,000g+ per week and you barely have to lift a finger. But build wrong, feed wrong, or ignore Friendship and you're wasting your money.
Quick summary
- Buildings: Coop (chickens/ducks/rabbits), Barn (cows/goats/sheep), Big/Deluxe for upgrades.
- Feeding: Hay (buy 50g from Marnie's or use Silo), plant Grass Starter.
- Friendship: Pet daily, feed, let outside in warm seasons — higher quality products.
- Fish Pond: Raise fish in ponds — produces Roe, Caviar, and species-specific items.
- Auto-Grabber: Auto-collects products — buy from Marnie's for 2,500g.
Buildings — what to build and when
Coop (Chicken Coop)
Basic Coop holds 4 animals. Big Coop holds 8, Deluxe Coop holds 12 and unlocks Void Chicken + Ostrich. Build the Coop first — chickens are the cheapest animal (800g each) and produce Eggs daily.
| Building | Capacity | Cost | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coop | 4 | 4,000g + 300 Wood + 100 Stone | Brown Chicken, White Chicken, Duck, Rabbit |
| Big Coop | 8 | 10,000g + 400 Wood + 150 Stone | Void Chicken (Void Eggs) |
| Deluxe Coop | 12 | 20,000g + 500 Wood + 200 Stone | Ostrich (Ostrich Eggs — highest price) |
Upgrade to Big Coop as soon as you have 4-5 chickens. Don't rush Deluxe Coop unless you want Ostriches — that 20,000g is better spent on cows early on.
Barn (Barn)
Basic Barn holds 4 animals. Big Barn holds 8, Deluxe Barn holds 12 and unlocks Pigs — the most profitable animal in the game. Cows produce Milk daily: sell raw for 125g, or process into Cheese (200g) via Cheese Press.
| Building | Capacity | Cost | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barn | 4 | 6,000g + 350 Wood + 150 Stone | Cow, Goat, Sheep |
| Big Barn | 8 | 12,000g + 450 Wood + 200 Stone | — |
| Deluxe Barn | 12 | 25,000g + 500 Wood + 250 Stone | Pig (drops Truffle — 600g+) |
Pigs are the only reason to build a Deluxe Barn. Truffles sell for 600g+ each, and each pig finds 1-2 per day when let outside. 4 pigs = 2,400-4,800g/day of "free" income.
Animal breakdown — which ones are worth it?
Chickens — easy, reliable, cheap
Brown Chicken and White Chicken cost 800g from Marnie's. They lay Eggs daily (50g), or Large Eggs (95g) at high friendship. Void Chickens (Big Coop) lay Void Eggs (80g) — process into Void Mayonnaise (275g). Golden Chickens lay Golden Eggs — sell for big money or use in crafting.
Cows — the daily staple
Cost 1,500g from Marnie's. Produce Milk (125g), Large Milk (190g) at high friendship. Process into Cheese (200g) or Goat Cheese (200g) via Cheese Press — 60% more profit.
Pigs — the money makers
Cost 16,000g from Marnie's (requires Deluxe Barn). Drop Truffles (600g+) when let outside — each pig finds 1-2 daily. Process into Truffle Oil (1,065g) via Oil Maker — insane ROI. Rabbit's Foot from Rabbits sells for 56g or is used in Lucky Lunch.
Goats, Sheep, Ducks
Goats (2,000g) — Goat Milk (125g), Goat Cheese (200g). Easy to raise, fair price. Sheep (2,000g) — produce Wool (340g) after shearing (need Shears or wait for auto-drop at high friendship). Ducks (1,200g) — Duck Eggs (95g), Duck Feathers (250g) — used in Beds and Pillows.
Dinosaur — the exotic pet
Dinosaur starts from a Dinosaur Egg found in Skull Cavern or Artifact Spots. Lays Dinosaur Eggs (350g) every 7 days. Sell raw or hatch for more dinosaurs — keep in a Coop.
Fish Pond — raising fish
Fish Ponds let you raise fish (including Legendary Fish). Fish produce Roe over time, and at certain population thresholds they'll request items — complete these to increase max population to 10.
| Fish | Roe value | Special product |
|---|---|---|
| Sturgeon | Roe → Caviar (400g+) | Caviar (via Preserves Jar) |
| Salmon | Roe 14g | Request: 5 Blueberries |
| Blobfish | Roe 50g | Request: 5 Midnight Carp |
| Lava Crab | Roe 80g | Request: 5 Iridium Bars → rewards 3 Crabs |
| Angler | Roe 120g | Request: 1 Golden Pumpkin → rewards 3 Anglers |
Sturgeon is the best Fish Pond candidate. Caviar via Preserves Jar = 400g+, and you only need 1-2 fish to start. Build a Fish Pond early, drop in a Sturgeon from Mountain Lake in Winter.
Feeding and care
Hay and Grass
Animals eat Hay (50g) daily. Two ways to get it:
- Buy from Marnie's: 50g each. Cheap but adds up over time.
- Grow grass: Buy Grass Starter for 100g from Pierre's, plant on tillable soil, cut with Scythe → get Hay. Build a Silo (2,000g + 100 Stone + 5 Clay) to auto-store Hay when cutting grass.
Build a Silo first — before buying a single animal. One Silo holds 240 Hay. Build 2-3 Silos, cut grass in Spring, store for Winter. Never run out of food again.
Friendship and product quality
Each animal has a max Friendship of 100 (5 hearts). Increase it by:
- Petting daily (+2 friendship, +1 with Pet Bowl).
- Feeding (+1 friendship).
- Letting outside in Spring/Summer/Fall (+5 friendship per day).
- Using a Heater in Winter (+2 friendship).
Friendship ≥ 50 → Silver quality. ≥ 70 → Gold. ≥ 90 → Iridium. Large Milk (190g) → Iridium Cheese (500g+). Worth every bit of effort.
Auto-Grabber — the game changer
The Auto-Grabber collects products automatically every day. Buy from Marnie's for 2,500g. Place it in a Barn or Coop — replaces the need to pet each animal and collect every egg, milk, and wool. One per building. Pays for itself in 5 days if you have 8+ animals.
Profit breakdown — the numbers
| Animal | Product | Sell price (raw) | Processed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | Egg / Large Egg | 50g / 95g | Mayonnaise 90g / 150g | Void Mayonnaise 275g |
| Cow | Milk / Large Milk | 125g / 190g | Cheese 200g / 300g | Iridium Cheese = 500g |
| Pig | Truffle | 600g+ | Truffle Oil 1,065g | Best profit in game |
| Goat | Goat Milk | 125g | Goat Cheese 200g | Easy friendship |
| Sheep | Wool | 340g | Cloth 470g (Loom) | Need Shears or wait for drop |
| Duck | Duck Egg | 95g | Mayonnaise 90g | Duck Feather 250g |
| Dinosaur | Dinosaur Egg | 350g | — | Sell raw or hatch more |
Pigs win by a landslide. 4 pigs with Auto-Grabber + Oil Maker = ~4,000g/day and you just pick them up. Don't rush upgrading the Barn — save up for Pigs first.
Priority roadmap
- Days 1-7: Build Silo + Coop. Buy 4 Chickens. Plant Grass Starter.
- Weeks 2-3: Upgrade to Big Coop. Buy more chickens. Build Barn once you have 10,000g.
- Month 1-2: Buy 2-4 Cows. Build Cheese Press. Start building friendship.
- Month 2+: Upgrade to Deluxe Barn. Buy Pigs. Build Oil Maker.
- Late game: Build Fish Pond, add Sturgeon. Buy Auto-Grabber.
Common mistakes
- No Silo before animals. Buying Hay daily costs 50g/animal. 10 animals = 500g/day wasted. Solves it completely.
- Too many animals too early. 12 chickens without Auto-Grabber = 2 minutes of petting + collecting daily. Don't overbuild before you can manage.
- Ignoring Friendship. Large Egg (95g) vs Egg (50g) = nearly double. Pet your animals daily — 10 seconds, done.
- Not letting animals outside. Spring/Summer/Fall outside time = fast friendship gain. Winter needs a Heater inside the building.
- Selling raw instead of processing. Milk 125g → Cheese 200g. Egg 50g → Mayonnaise 90g. Always build Cheese Press and Mayonnaise Machine.
Livestock is Stardew's "set and forget" income. Build the buildings, buy an Auto-Grabber, grow grass — done. Each morning grab a few Eggs, Milks, Truffles, toss them in machines. 5 minutes a day, tens of thousands of gold. Don't skip the crop calculator — livestock ROI needs math too.
Related on StardewHub
- How to get 1 Million Gold — livestock is a key passive income source.
- Best Crops for Profit — combine crops + animals for a self-sustaining farm.
- Villagers & NPC Gifts — Marnie sells animals, Maru loves Cheese, Shane loves Goat Cheese.
I started with 4 chickens, got my first 4 pigs two months later. Now 12 pigs + Auto-Grabber + Oil Maker = 4,000g+ daily without leaving the farm. The initial investment is rough, but once it's running, the income is smooth all year round.
Updated for 1.6.