Can Grass Turn Into Hay in Stardew Valley? A Comprehensive Guide
Yes, grass can indeed turn into hay in Stardew Valley, but there’s a crucial element involved: a Silo. Without a Silo, simply cutting grass with your scythe will not produce any usable hay. This mechanic is fundamental to keeping your farm animals fed, especially during the winter months when they can’t graze outside. This article dives deep into the process, exploring various methods of obtaining hay, best practices for its use, and solutions to common hay-related issues in Stardew Valley.
The Basics of Hay Production
The Silo: Your Hay-Making Hub
The Silo is a farm building essential for converting grass into hay. When you cut grass with a scythe, the cut grass will automatically be converted into hay and stored in the Silo, provided you have built one. Each silo can hold up to 240 pieces of hay, and the game will display the combined storage of all silos on your farm when you interact with them. This means you can expand hay storage as needed by adding more silos.
The Scythe: Your Cutting Tool
The scythe is the primary tool used for harvesting grass. It can be obtained early in the game and is used not only for harvesting grass but also for other tasks such as clearing weeds. Using the scythe on grass without a silo will result in the grass simply being cleared without producing any hay. This highlights the necessity of building a silo before attempting to harvest grass for hay.
How the Process Works
- Build a Silo: This is the first and most crucial step. You’ll need 100 Stone, 10 Clay, 5 Copper Bars, and 100g to construct a Silo at Robin’s shop.
- Grow Grass: Grass can be grown by using Grass Starters, which can be crafted from Fiber or purchased from Pierre’s General Store.
- Harvest with Scythe: Once the grass is grown, use your scythe to cut it. If you have a Silo, the cut grass will be turned into hay and automatically stored.
- Store in Silo: All hay harvested goes directly to your silo, which you can view to see how much hay you have stored.
Why Hay Matters
Feeding Your Animals
Hay is the primary food source for your farm animals (chickens, ducks, cows, goats, pigs, sheep, and rabbits) during the winter and on rainy days when they are confined to their coops and barns. Each animal eats one unit of hay per day when indoors. Having a sufficient supply of hay is key to ensuring your animals stay healthy and continue to produce products.
The Auto-Feeder
Once you upgrade your coop or barn to the Deluxe level, an auto-feeder is installed. This feeder automatically dispenses hay from the silos to the feeding bench as long as there’s hay available. This is very convenient, especially for larger farms with multiple animals, allowing you to manage feeding efficiently.
Hay Storage and Dispensing
Hay stored in silos is not accessed directly. Instead, it is dispensed through the Hoppers found in your coops and barns. By right-clicking the Hopper, hay will be dispensed to the feeding trough based on the number of animals inside the building. This ensures that only the necessary amount of hay is dispensed, preventing waste.
Optimizing Hay Production
The Grass Trick
A popular strategy is the “grass trick”, where grass starters are placed under fences or other structures. The animals won’t eat this grass, allowing it to spread and providing a source of hay even in areas where your animals graze. This ensures a continual supply of grass to harvest while preventing animals from consuming all of your resources.
Strategic Cutting
Instead of clearing entire patches of grass at once, consider cutting it “badly”. Leaving some grass behind will encourage it to regrow quickly, providing more frequent harvests and continuous supply. The Silo automatically stores hay, so it’s better to cut grass in small bursts so it can grow back.
The Golden Scythe
The Golden Scythe is a special tool found in the Skull Cavern. It gives a 75% higher chance of producing hay when harvesting grass compared to the regular scythe. This is a major boost for efficient hay production, especially during the fall when you need to stockpile for winter.
Grass vs. Hay for Animals
Although animals prefer fresh grass, they rely on hay when kept indoors. Therefore, it is important to manage your grass usage. Hay provides a substitute for their grazing when they cannot roam outdoors. Grass has slightly more nutrients than hay, so grazing is more beneficial for the animals when it is an option.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can animals eat grass directly instead of hay?
Yes, animals can eat grass directly when they are outside grazing. This is their preferred method of feeding. However, when indoors, they require hay from the feeder.
2. What happens if my silo is full?
If your Silo is full, any additional hay harvested will go directly into your inventory. Ensure you are regularly emptying your silos through your hoppers in your animal buildings to free up space.
3. Can I get hay without a silo?
Without a silo, cutting grass only has a 50% chance to produce hay which will go straight into your inventory. A Silo is required for efficient and reliable hay harvesting.
4. How can I get unlimited grass?
By placing fences over grass starters, the grass will spread but the animals cannot eat it, allowing it to proliferate. It can also be a good idea to have a fenced-off patch of grass specifically for this purpose.
5. What is the cheapest way to get hay?
The cheapest way is by utilizing the grass trick and strategically cutting grass throughout the year, stockpiling hay towards the end of fall. Then, cutting down all the remaining grass before winter. This requires a large, well-maintained grass area.
6. Can you turn fiber into hay?
While you can’t turn fiber directly into hay, you can craft grass starters from fiber. Then plant and grow these starters into grass to harvest for hay.
7. Does grass die in winter?
Yes, grass dies in the winter, so you’ll need to have a sufficient supply of hay stored in your Silos to feed your animals until spring.
8. How do I get hay from a silo?
You cannot directly withdraw hay from the silo. Hay is dispensed by the hoppers in your coop or barn by right-clicking on them. It can only be taken into the feeding trough.
9. Why am I not getting hay when I cut grass?
Ensure you have built a silo. Without a silo, you will not get hay. Also, make sure that you are cutting grass and not weeds, weeds will need a special enchantment to be able to give hay.
10. Should I build a silo or a coop first?
It is highly recommended to build a silo before a coop or barn. This ensures you can store hay before acquiring animals, guaranteeing a food supply from the start.
11. How many silos should I have?
The number of silos depends on how many animals you have. One silo can support approximately 9 animals through the winter. Therefore, 3 silos are generally enough for a full Deluxe Barn and Deluxe Coop.
12. Does the Silo automatically feed animals?
The silo itself does not automatically feed animals. The auto-feeder is a feature within the Deluxe Coop and Barn, that dispenses hay from silos into the feeding trough.
13. How much hay can a silo hold?
Each silo can store 240 pieces of hay. Multiple silos add up to increase your storage capacity.
14. How do I get free hay in Stardew Valley?
You can get “free” hay by harvesting grass you grew with your scythe after building the silo. You can also get hay from cutting weeds with a weapon that has the Haymaker enchantment.
15. What is the Haymaker enchantment?
The Haymaker enchantment gives you a 1/3 chance to get hay when cutting weeds using a weapon. This hay will be added directly to silos on your farm and into your inventory elsewhere.
By understanding how to cultivate, harvest, and utilize hay effectively, you can ensure that your farm animals are well-fed and healthy year-round in Stardew Valley. Strategic planning and the implementation of the right techniques will lead to a prosperous and efficient farm.