How Many Cows Can You Have in One Barn in Stardew Valley?
The number of cows you can house in a single barn in Stardew Valley depends on the barn’s upgrade level. The base-level barn, the first type available through Robin’s shop, can house four animals, but with an important caveat: these can only be cows or ostriches, not a mix. Once you upgrade your barn, the animal capacity increases, alongside the variety of animals you can keep. Understanding this progression is key to efficiently managing your farm and livestock.
Barn Upgrades and Animal Capacity
Stardew Valley utilizes a three-tier system for barns, each offering increased space and functionality:
The Base Barn
- Capacity: 4 animals (cows or ostriches)
- Cost: 6,000 gold, 350 Wood, 150 Stone
- Description: This is the starting point for barn ownership and is designed for a small number of livestock. This initial barn sets the stage for more expansive animal husbandry.
The Big Barn
- Capacity: 8 animals (cows, goats, or ostriches)
- Cost: 12,000 gold, 450 Wood, 200 Stone
- Description: Upgrading to a Big Barn doubles your animal capacity and introduces the possibility of keeping goats, alongside cows and ostriches. It requires upgrading the base barn. This expansion represents a significant step in your farming journey, allowing for diversification.
The Deluxe Barn
- Capacity: 12 animals (cows, goats, ostriches, or pigs)
- Cost: 25,000 gold, 550 Wood, 300 Stone
- Description: The final upgrade, the Deluxe Barn, maximizes your animal-keeping potential. Here, you can house up to 12 animals and introduce pigs to your farm. This upgrade also unlocks the auto-feeder system, streamlining animal care and significantly reducing the time needed for daily maintenance. This barn marks the ultimate expansion, allowing for a diverse and thriving farm.
Important Considerations
It is important to note that the barn’s capacity refers to the total number of animals, not specifically cows. So, if you have a Deluxe Barn, you could have twelve cows, or a mix of cows, goats, ostriches and pigs, as long as the total number doesn’t exceed twelve. You can only mix the animals when you upgrade from the initial barn.
Maximizing Your Barn’s Potential
Efficiently utilizing your barn’s space is crucial for a profitable farm. Understanding each animal’s productivity and cost-effectiveness is key:
- Cows: Produce milk daily after maturing, which can be made into cheese, a good source of income. Large milk and large cheese sell for higher prices. They require hay every day if they cannot graze.
- Goats: Produce goat milk daily after maturing, which is converted into goat cheese. Their products sell for a fair price, but cows are slightly more profitable when both produce regular cheese.
- Ostriches: Ostrich eggs are very valuable and can be used to make even more valuable mayonnaise. They are more complex to obtain as you need to find an ostrich egg on Ginger Island first.
- Pigs: Finds truffles that can be sold or turned into truffle oil, generating substantial revenue, especially with high friendship and happiness. They require space to find truffles.
Balancing your barn with a variety of animals can create a diverse income stream. Each animal contributes to different aspects of your farm and provides a unique experience.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cows and Barns in Stardew Valley
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about cows, barns, and animal management in Stardew Valley to help you better manage your farm:
1. How do you get cows in Stardew Valley?
After Robin finishes building your barn, you can buy a cow at Marnie’s Ranch for 1,500 gold. They come in white and brown colors, but this doesn’t affect their productivity.
2. Are cows or goats more profitable in Stardew Valley?
Cows are generally more profitable than goats, as they produce twice as much cheese per milk, and large milk is more common with a higher friendship level.
3. Can cows destroy crops in Stardew Valley?
No, farm animals do not damage crops. They may get in the way of planting and harvesting but won’t trample or destroy your hard work.
4. Is it worth having cows in Stardew Valley?
Yes, absolutely! Cows provide a consistent source of income through milk, which can be processed into cheese. They are a good starting point for animal husbandry, especially once they mature and provide large milk.
5. Should I fence in my cows in Stardew Valley?
Fences are not necessary to keep animals from damaging crops; but they are useful for organizing your farm. They help with keeping animals out of your way or keeping them in a specific area.
6. Why do my cows have no milk in Stardew Valley?
Cows mature after 5 days, producing milk daily unless they are grumpy. If they are not fed or have low mood, they won’t produce milk.
7. Can you have two coops in Stardew Valley?
Yes, you can have three different coop levels on your farm; the base coop and two upgrades. There are no restrictions on the number of coops that can be constructed.
8. Do dinosaurs grow in Stardew Valley?
Yes, after finding a Dinosaur Egg, you can incubate it into a baby dinosaur that will grow up to lay more eggs. These eggs are valuable and can be made into dinosaur mayonnaise.
9. How do you get a Deluxe Barn in Stardew Valley?
You can upgrade your initial barn to a Big Barn and then to a Deluxe Barn by paying for the upgrades at Robin’s shop. Each upgrade costs gold, wood, and stone.
10. Can you replace a barn with a Big Barn in Stardew Valley?
Yes, upgrading your barn simply modifies the existing structure. There is no need to destroy and rebuild from scratch.
11. Do I need a silo for each barn in Stardew Valley?
If you have many animals or auto-feeders, having multiple silos can be very useful to ensure you don’t run out of hay and it is often useful to have a few just to save time gathering it manually.
12. Can I leave the chicken coop door open overnight in Stardew Valley?
Yes, there is no penalty for leaving the coop door open overnight, although doing so can slightly confuse the system. It’s largely a matter of personal preference.
13. Do cows need a heater in Stardew Valley?
Heaters help keep your animals warm and happy during the winter, especially if they are indoors after 6PM and have a mood of 150 or above.
14. What happens if you don’t feed your cows in Stardew Valley?
If animals are not fed, they will not produce their daily product, be it milk, eggs, or truffles. They also need to have sufficient mood to produce.
15. How do I make my cows happy in Stardew Valley?
Ensure they are fed daily with hay, and they will stay happy and be more likely to produce high-quality products such as large milk.
By understanding the barn upgrades and animal management, you can create a thriving and profitable farm in Stardew Valley.