How to Get Pigs in Stardew Valley: A Comprehensive Guide

Raising animals is a core component of Stardew Valley, offering players diverse income streams and valuable resources. Among the various farm animals available, pigs stand out for their truffle-hunting abilities, making them a potentially lucrative addition to your farm. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about how to get pigs in Stardew Valley, from meeting the initial requirements to maximizing your truffle profits.

Prerequisites for Owning Pigs

Before you can even consider how to get pigs, you need to ensure your farm is properly set up. Here are the essential requirements:

Upgraded Barn

Pigs live in barns, specifically the Deluxe Barn. To unlock the Deluxe Barn, you must first upgrade your initial barn twice. The first upgrade, the Big Barn, requires 12,000g, 450 Wood, and 200 Stone. The second upgrade, leading to the Deluxe Barn, requires 25,000g, 550 Wood, and 300 Stone. Visit Robin at the Carpenter’s Shop north of town to initiate these upgrades.

Sufficient Space

Each pig requires adequate space inside the barn and access to an outdoor area for foraging. Ensure your barn isn’t overcrowded and that there’s a clear path for the pigs to roam outside. A fenced-in area is recommended to prevent them from wandering too far.

Sufficient Funds

Purchasing a pig isn’t cheap. Each pig costs 16,000g. You’ll need to budget accordingly to afford the initial investment and ongoing feed costs.

Purchasing Your Pig

Once you have a Deluxe Barn, you can purchase pigs from Marnie’s Ranch, located south of your farm in Cindersap Forest. Marnie’s Ranch is open from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM every day except Monday and Tuesday (unless it’s a festival day). Speak to Marnie inside the ranch and select the “Purchase Animals” option. You will then see the pig available for 16,000g. Select the pig, choose a name, and assign it to an available spot in your Deluxe Barn.

Caring for Your Pigs

After figuring out how to get pigs, proper care is essential for their well-being and truffle production. Here are some key aspects of pig care:

Feeding

Pigs require daily feeding. You can provide hay by placing it in the feeding trough inside the barn. Hay can be obtained by cutting grass with a scythe (50% chance) or purchased from Marnie for 50g each. Alternatively, if you have a silo, hay will automatically be dispensed into the feeding trough. If the pigs are allowed to graze outside on grass, they do not need to be fed hay that day.

Friendship

Like all animals in Stardew Valley, pigs have a friendship level that affects their happiness and productivity. You can increase friendship by petting them daily, ensuring they have access to food, and letting them roam outside. Higher friendship levels will result in more truffles and higher quality truffles.

Letting Pigs Outside

Pigs need to spend time outside to find truffles. Open the barn door each morning to allow them to roam freely. Pigs will forage for truffles throughout the day and leave them on the ground. Remember to close the barn door at night to protect them from wild animal attacks. Pigs will not leave the barn in the winter season.

Truffle Hunting and Profitability

The primary reason players consider how to get pigs is for their truffle-hunting abilities. Truffles are valuable items that can be sold directly or processed into truffle oil for even greater profit.

Finding Truffles

When pigs are outside, they will dig up truffles and leave them on the ground. The number of truffles found depends on their friendship level and the available space for foraging. Pigs will not find truffles in the winter.

Truffle Quality

The quality of truffles (Normal, Silver, Gold, Iridium) depends on the animal’s happiness and friendship level. Higher friendship levels increase the chance of finding higher quality truffles.

Selling Truffles

Truffles can be sold directly for 625g each. However, processing them into truffle oil significantly increases their value.

Making Truffle Oil

To make truffle oil, you need an Oil Maker. The recipe for the Oil Maker is obtained at Farming Level 8 and requires 50 Hardwood, 1 Slime, and 1 Gold Bar. Place a truffle in the Oil Maker, and after 6 in-game hours, it will produce truffle oil, which sells for 1,065g – a substantial profit increase.

Maximizing Truffle Production

To maximize your truffle profits, consider the following strategies:

Maximize Friendship

Prioritize increasing your pigs’ friendship levels. Pet them daily, ensure they are fed, and let them roam outside as much as possible. Consider gifting them their favorite items (though pigs don’t have specific loved gifts, any universal like is beneficial).

The Botanist Profession

If you choose the Botanist profession at Foraging Level 10, all foraged items, including truffles, will always be of iridium quality. This significantly increases the value of each truffle, making it an extremely lucrative option.

Truffle Hunter Profession

Choosing the Truffle Hunter profession at Foraging Level 5 will allow your pigs to find even more truffles, further enhancing your profits. This profession, combined with the Botanist profession, is a powerful combination for truffle farming.

Optimize Foraging Space

Ensure your pigs have ample space to roam outside. Remove any obstacles, such as rocks or weeds, that may hinder their movement. A large, open area with plenty of grass is ideal for truffle hunting.

Automated Collection

While not directly related to the pigs, consider using Junimo huts to automatically harvest crops around your farm, freeing up more time to focus on animal care and truffle collection. [See also: Guide to Junimo Huts]

Common Mistakes to Avoid

When learning how to get pigs and care for them, avoid these common mistakes:

Forgetting to Feed

Neglecting to feed your pigs will decrease their happiness and reduce truffle production. Always ensure they have access to hay, especially during rainy days or winter.

Confining Pigs Indoors

Keeping your pigs confined indoors will prevent them from finding truffles. Let them roam outside as much as possible, weather permitting.

Ignoring Friendship

Neglecting to build friendship with your pigs will result in lower quality and fewer truffles. Prioritize daily interaction to maximize their productivity.

Selling Truffles Directly Without Processing

Selling truffles directly is less profitable than processing them into truffle oil. Invest in an Oil Maker and always convert your truffles into oil before selling. This understanding of how to get pigs and maximize their output is key to profit.

Conclusion

How to get pigs in Stardew Valley involves upgrading your barn, purchasing the pigs, and providing proper care. With the right strategies, truffle farming can become a highly profitable venture on your farm. By following this guide, you’ll be well-equipped to maximize your truffle production and enjoy the benefits of raising these valuable animals. Remember to focus on friendship, optimize foraging space, and process your truffles into oil for maximum profit. Now that you know how to get pigs, go forth and create a thriving truffle empire!