How to Get Pigs in Stardew Valley: A Comprehensive Guide

Raising animals is a cornerstone of the farming experience in Stardew Valley, and pigs are arguably one of the most profitable livestock options available. Known for their truffle-hunting abilities, pigs can significantly boost your income if managed correctly. This guide provides a detailed walkthrough on how to get pigs in Stardew Valley, covering everything from initial investment to maximizing truffle production.

Understanding Pigs in Stardew Valley

Pigs are a type of farm animal that can be purchased and housed in a barn. Unlike chickens or cows, pigs don’t produce a daily product like eggs or milk. Instead, they forage for truffles outside your barn. Truffles are valuable items that can be sold directly or processed into truffle oil, which is even more lucrative. The key to success with pigs lies in optimizing their happiness and ensuring they have access to outdoor space.

Benefits of Owning Pigs

Truffle Production: The primary benefit of owning pigs is their ability to find truffles. Truffles sell for a base price of 625g each, making them a substantial source of income.
Truffle Oil: Processing truffles into truffle oil doubles their value, selling for 1065g each. A single pig can find multiple truffles per day, resulting in significant profits.
Foraging Experience: As your pigs find truffles, you’ll also gain foraging experience, which can unlock useful perks and crafting recipes.
Passive Income: Once you’ve set up your pig farm, the daily routine is relatively low-maintenance, providing a steady stream of income with minimal effort.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Get Pigs

Step 1: Upgrading Your Barn

The first step to acquiring pigs is upgrading your barn. Pigs require a Deluxe Barn, which is the final upgrade available from Robin at the Carpenter’s Shop. To reach this stage, you’ll first need to upgrade your standard barn to a Big Barn. Here’s a breakdown of the upgrade process:

Standard Barn: The starting barn comes with four animal slots.
Big Barn: This upgrade costs 12,000g, 450 wood, and 200 stone. It increases the animal capacity to eight.
Deluxe Barn: This final upgrade costs 25,000g, 550 wood, and 300 stone. It allows for up to twelve animals and includes an auto-feed system, saving you time and effort.

Make sure you have enough resources and gold before starting the upgrade process. Robin will take a few days to complete each upgrade, during which you won’t be able to use your barn.

Step 2: Purchasing Pigs

Once you have a Deluxe Barn, you can purchase pigs from Marnie at Marnie’s Ranch. Pigs cost 16,000g each. To buy a pig, simply visit Marnie’s Ranch during her open hours (9 AM to 4 PM, closed Mondays and Tuesdays) and select the “Purchase Animals” option.

Keep in mind that pigs become unavailable during winter. They will not forage for truffles in the snow. Therefore, it’s best to buy pigs in spring, summer, or fall to maximize their truffle-hunting potential.

Step 3: Naming and Housing Your Pigs

After purchasing a pig, Marnie will ask you to name it. Choose a name and confirm your selection. The pig will then be transported to your barn. Ensure that your barn has enough space for the new pig.

Inside the Deluxe Barn, pigs can roam freely. They will need to be fed daily. The auto-feed system in the Deluxe Barn will automatically dispense hay from your silo into the feeding troughs. If you run out of hay, you’ll need to manually place hay in the troughs.

Step 4: Maximizing Truffle Production

To maximize truffle production, several factors need to be considered:

Animal Happiness: Happy pigs find more truffles. Make sure to pet your pigs daily and allow them to graze outside whenever the weather permits.
Outdoor Space: Pigs need access to grass to forage for truffles. Ensure that your barn has an adjacent fenced area with plenty of grass.
Weather Conditions: Pigs will only forage for truffles on sunny days. They will stay inside on rainy days and during winter.
Fence Maintenance: Animals can escape if fences are not maintained. Regularly repair or replace broken fences to keep your pigs contained.
The Gatherer Profession: If you choose the Gatherer profession at Foraging level 5, you have a 20% chance to get double the foraged items, including truffles.
The Botanist Profession: At Foraging level 10, the Botanist profession ensures that all foraged items are always of the highest quality (iridium quality), increasing their sell price.

Tips and Tricks for Pig Farming

Strategic Placement of Your Barn

The location of your barn can impact truffle production. Ideally, place your barn in an area with plenty of open space and natural grass. Avoid placing it too close to other buildings or features that might restrict the pigs’ movement.

Utilizing Fences Effectively

Fences are crucial for containing your pigs and preventing them from wandering off. Use high-quality fences, such as stone or iron fences, to ensure they last longer and require less maintenance. Regularly check your fences for damage and repair them promptly.

Feeding Your Pigs

While the auto-feed system in the Deluxe Barn simplifies feeding, it’s essential to monitor your hay supply. If you run out of hay, you can purchase it from Marnie or harvest it yourself using a scythe on grass. Building a silo is essential for storing hay.

Dealing with Winter

Pigs do not produce truffles during winter, as they stay inside the barn. Use this time to focus on other farm activities, such as mining, fishing, or crafting. You can also sell off some of your truffle oil to generate income during the off-season. Stockpiling hay is also a good strategy to ensure your animals are fed throughout the winter months. [See also: Stardew Valley Winter Guide]

Maximizing Profit with Truffle Oil

Processing truffles into truffle oil significantly increases their value. Invest in an oil maker as soon as possible to take advantage of this. Each truffle oil sells for 1065g, compared to the base price of 625g for a raw truffle. With the Artisan profession (obtained at Farming level 10), the sell price of truffle oil increases by 40%, making it even more profitable.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Pigs Not Finding Truffles

If your pigs are not finding truffles, consider the following factors:

Weather: Pigs only forage on sunny days.
Happiness: Unhappy pigs find fewer truffles. Ensure you are petting them daily.
Outdoor Access: Pigs need access to grass to forage.
Space: Make sure the area around the barn is not overcrowded with objects preventing the pigs from moving freely.

Pigs Escaping the Farm

If your pigs are escaping, check your fences for damage and repair them immediately. Use higher-quality fences for better durability. Also, make sure gates are closed properly.

Running Out of Hay

To avoid running out of hay, build multiple silos and harvest grass regularly. You can also purchase hay from Marnie, but this can be expensive in the long run. Automating the hay harvesting process with grass starters can also be helpful.

Conclusion: The Rewards of Pig Farming

How to get pigs and successfully raise them in Stardew Valley requires some initial investment and careful planning, but the rewards are well worth the effort. Pigs are a highly profitable addition to any farm, providing a steady stream of income through truffle production. By following this comprehensive guide, you can optimize your pig farming operation and reap the financial benefits. Remember to prioritize animal happiness, maintain your fences, and maximize truffle processing to ensure a successful and lucrative pig farming venture. Getting pigs might seem like a late-game endeavor, but the payoff is significant. Consider investing in pigs to boost your farm’s income. Knowing how to get pigs and care for them is crucial. With proper care, your pigs will find plenty of truffles. Pigs are a great source of income. Learn how to get pigs and start making money. The key is knowing how to get pigs and keeping them happy. Pigs require a Deluxe Barn. You’ll need to know how to get pigs before you can start making truffle oil. The profit from pigs is substantial. So, now you know how to get pigs. Consider adding pigs to your farm. Understanding how to get pigs can transform your farm’s profitability. Getting pigs is a worthwhile investment. To summarize, how to get pigs involves barn upgrades and purchases from Marnie. Once you know how to get pigs, the rest is easy.