How to feed chickens in Stardew Valley

Chickens in Stardew Valley are more than just charming farm animals; they play a crucial role. This guide explains how to feed them properly.

In Stardew Valley, chickens are one of the most important animals to keep around. They provide eggs that can be sold for profit or used in several recipes, making chickens essential for those who are culinarily inclined.

And, in order to keep chickens happy and maintain their Friendship Level, you’ve got to keep them well-fed.

Here is everything you need to know about chickens as well as how to feed them to keep those eggs flowing strong.

Stand by the feeding station while holding the hay to feed the chickens

Feeding chickens with hay in Stardew Valley

The most common way to feed chickens in Stardew Valley is to use Hay. In order to get the Hay you need, you must use the Scythe to cut grass. Once you have the Hay, you can place some into the Hopper inside the Chicken Coop to store for later use.

Another option is to plop it down on the feeding station with the interact button. Then, wait for them to eat whenever they get a hankering for a bite.

Now, what if you don’t have any Hay to begin with?

How to get Hay in Stardew Valley

In order to start manufacturing Hay on your own, you will need to build a Silo. To build the Silo, you will need to head to Robin’s Carpenter Shop. It will take Robin two days to construct and will cost you:

• 100 Gold
• 100 Stone
• 10 Clay
• 5 Copper Bars

Once the Silo has been built, you’ll begin seeing Hay spawn from the grass as you cut it down with your Scythe. The drop rate for Hay is not 100%, but it will drop pretty often in order to help fill your silo which becomes very important in the wintertime since grass will not grow in winter.

It is also worth noting that the hay will automatically be added to the silo once cut from the grass, so you won’t need to manually add it in as you go.

If you have some extra Gold to spare and don’t seem to have enough grass to get by, you can head down to Marnie’s Ranch and buy Hay for 50g a piece, but that can become extremely expensive and not the most efficient as time goes on.

Hay will cost 50g per piece in Marnie’s shop

Feeding chickens with grass in Stardew Valley

If you want to take a more natural approach to feed your chickens, you can always let them free roam and eat Wild Grass they come across outside. This does come with a few risks though, as chickens can get lost, trapped, or eaten by wild animals when free roaming.

Letting them roam the grounds does increase their Friendship Level with you faster than keeping them cooped up all day, but it does come with those risks mentioned above. Be prepared to lose a few of your feathered friends if you do choose to use the Wild Grass method.

It also comes with the risk of not having enough food for them to survive through Winter since the wild grass will not grow while the snow is falling.

That’s everything you need to know about how to feed chickens in Stardew Valley. Read below for more tips and tricks on the popular farming sim.

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