Understanding Animal Economics
Animal profit depends on three key factors:
Purchase Cost
Upfront investment you need to recover. Ranges from 800g (Chicken) to 16,000g (Pig).
Production Frequency
Daily output vs every 2-4 days. Daily producers give consistent income.
Processing Value
Raw product vs Cheese/Mayo/Oil. Always process for 2-3x value increase!
Applies to Cheese, Mayo, Oil. Best for most players.
Raw animal products only. Skip this—always process!
🐔 Coop Animals
Coop animals produce eggs, feathers, and wool. The Deluxe Coop holds 12 animals. Here's how they rank:
| Animal | Cost | Product | Raw | Processed | + Artisan | ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 800g | Egg (daily) | 50-95g | 190-285g Mayo | 266-399g | 4.2 days | ⭐ Best Starter |
| Duck | 1,200g | Egg (every 2d) | 95g | 375g Duck Mayo | 525g | 4.6 days | ⭐⭐ High Value |
| Void Chicken | Void Egg | Void Egg (daily) | 65g | 275g Void Mayo | 385g | — | Novelty |
| Dinosaur | Dino Egg | Dino Egg (7d) | 350g | Cannot process | — | — | ❌ Skip |
| Rabbit | 8,000g | Wool (every 4d) | 340g | 470g Cloth | 658g | 94 days | ❌ Poor ROI |
🐔 Chicken Deep Dive
Regular Egg: 50g raw → 190g Mayo → 266g (Artisan)
Large Egg: 95g raw → 285g Gold Mayo → 399g (Artisan)
✓ 800g cost ÷ 190g/day = 4.2 days ROI
Best starter animal. White & brown eggs are identical in value.
🦆 Duck Deep Dive
Duck Egg: 95g raw → 375g Duck Mayo → 525g (Artisan)
Duck Feather: 250g (random ~5% chance)
✓ 525g ÷ 2 days = 262g/day average
Better than chickens per-slot. Worth upgrading once you have Mayo Machines!
❌ Skip These Coop Animals
350g every 7 days = 50g/day. Half a chicken's income. Keep one for museum, don't farm.
8,000g cost, 85g/day = 94 days ROI. Only for Rabbit's Foot farming (luck-dependent).
Strictly worse than Ducks. Only useful for Witch's Hut quest and novelty.
🐄 Barn Animals
Barn animals produce milk, wool, and truffles. The Deluxe Barn holds 12 animals. Pigs are the endgame champions:
| Animal | Cost | Product | Raw | Processed | + Artisan | ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cow | 1,500g | Milk (daily) | 125-190g | 230-345g Cheese | 322-483g | 4.3 days | ⭐⭐ Reliable |
| Goat | 4,000g | Milk (every 2d) | 225-345g | 400-600g Cheese | 560-840g | 9.5 days | ⭐ Good |
| Sheep | 8,000g | Wool (every 3-4d) | 340g | 470g Cloth | 658g | 36.5 days | Mediocre |
| Pig | 16,000g | Truffle (outdoors) | 625g | 1,065g Oil | 1,491g | 10.7 days | 👑 Best Profit |
🐄 Cow
Cost: 1,500g
Milk: 125-190g (daily)
Cheese: 230-345g → 322-483g (Artisan)
ROI: 4.3 days
✓ Daily production = consistent income
🐐 Goat
Cost: 4,000g
Milk: 225-345g (every 2 days)
Cheese: 400-600g → 560-840g (Artisan)
ROI: 9.5 days
⚖️ Higher per-unit but less frequent
Pig: The Endgame Champion
The most profitable animal in Stardew Valley
Raw Truffle
Truffle Oil
Oil + Artisan
💰 The Math
Max-happiness Pig: 1-2 Truffles/day average • Daily income: 1,000-2,200g
ROI: 16,000g ÷ 1,500g = 10.7 days (worth the wait!)
⚠️ Pig Limitations (Important!)
⚙️ Processing Priority
Always process animal products! Here's the priority order based on value increase:
| # | Product | Processor | Time | Value Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🍄 | Truffle | Oil Maker | 6 hours | +70% (+138% Artisan) |
| 🥚 | Duck Egg | Mayo Machine | 3 hours | +295% |
| 🥚 | Egg | Mayo Machine | 3 hours | +280% |
| 🥛 | Milk | Cheese Press | 3.3 hours | +84% |
| 🧶 | Wool | Loom | 4 hours | +38% |
🏠 Optimal Barn/Coop Setup
🐔 Best Coop (12 slots)
🦆 8 Ducks
525g × 8 ÷ 2 = 2,100g/day
🐔 4 Chickens
Daily eggs for cooking/quests
💡 Or go full 12 Ducks if you don't need eggs!
🐄 Best Barn (12 slots)
🐷 Option A: 12 Pigs
Max profit: 15,000-25,000g/day in good weather
⚖️ Option B: 8 Pigs + 4 Cows
Pigs for profit, Cows for winter income
📅 Year 1 Animal Strategy
Timeline: When to Buy Animals
Build Coop, buy 4 Chickens (3,200g)
Start Mayo production. Quick ROI in ~4 days each.
Upgrade to Big Coop, add Ducks
Incubate Duck Eggs or buy Ducks. Better Mayo value.
Build Barn, buy 2-4 Cows
Prepare for winter. Cows give consistent Cheese income.
Upgrade to Deluxe Barn, BUY PIGS!
Fill with Pigs. They'll pay for themselves in ~11 days each.
💡 Pro Tip: Don't Rush Pigs
The 16,000g cost and barn upgrade requirements (6,500g + 450 wood + 200 stone for Deluxe) make Pigs a Year 2 investment. Focus on Chickens → Ducks → Cows in Year 1, then go all-in on Pigs when you have the resources.
✅ DO
- ✓Always process eggs, milk, and truffles
- ✓Pet animals daily for max happiness
- ✓Let pigs outside every non-rainy day
- ✓Choose Artisan profession for +40% goods
❌ DON'T
- ✗Sell raw products—always process first
- ✗Farm dinosaurs—50g/day is terrible
- ✗Buy Pigs in Year 1—too expensive early
- ✗Forget heaters—cold animals = less production
📚 Related Guides
Last updated: June 2025 • Verified for Stardew Valley 1.6