How to Get Pigs in Stardew Valley: A Comprehensive Guide
Raising animals is a core part of the farming experience in Stardew Valley, and among the most profitable and charming are pigs. These truffle-loving creatures can significantly boost your income, but understanding how to get pigs in Stardew Valley and care for them properly is crucial. This comprehensive guide will walk you through every step, from building the necessary structures to maximizing your truffle yield.
Preparing Your Farm for Pigs
Before you even think about acquiring pigs, you need to ensure your farm is ready to accommodate them. This involves constructing the right buildings and meeting certain prerequisites.
Building a Deluxe Barn
Pigs require a Deluxe Barn to live in. This is an upgraded version of the regular Barn, which in turn is an upgrade from the Small Barn. Here’s the progression:
- Small Barn: Requires 4,000g, 150 Wood, and 50 Stone. This can house up to 4 animals.
- Barn: Requires 12,000g, 350 Wood, and 150 Stone. This can house up to 8 animals.
- Deluxe Barn: Requires 25,000g, 550 Wood, and 300 Stone. This can house up to 12 animals.
To upgrade your barn, visit Robin at the Carpenter’s Shop, located north of town. Keep in mind that Robin is closed on Tuesdays, and her hours are limited.
Meeting the Prerequisites
You need to have the previous barn upgrades completed before you can build the Deluxe Barn. This means you’ll need to first construct the Small Barn, then upgrade it to the Barn, and finally upgrade it to the Deluxe Barn. Each upgrade takes a few days to complete, so plan accordingly.
Acquiring Your First Pig
Once you have a Deluxe Barn, you can finally purchase a pig! Here’s how:
Visiting Marnie’s Ranch
Marnie’s Ranch is located south of your farm, and it’s where you can buy various farm animals. Marnie sells pigs for 16,000g each. She’s usually open from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, but she’s closed on Mondays and Tuesdays (unless it’s raining, in which case she might open). It’s always a good idea to check her schedule before making the trip.
Purchasing a Pig
Talk to Marnie and select the option to purchase an animal. Choose the pig, and she’ll ask you where you want to place it. Select your Deluxe Barn, and the pig will be transported there immediately. You’ll then be prompted to give your new pig a name.
Caring for Your Pigs
Now that you have your pig, you need to take proper care of it to ensure it’s happy and productive. Happy pigs produce valuable truffles!
Feeding Your Pigs
Pigs need to be fed every day. You can either let them graze outside on grass or provide them with hay inside the barn. If you choose to let them graze, make sure there’s enough grass available. If there isn’t, they won’t produce truffles. During winter, when grass doesn’t grow, you’ll need to feed them hay. You can purchase hay from Marnie or harvest it yourself using a scythe on grass and storing it in a silo.
Petting Your Pigs
Petting your pigs daily increases their happiness, which in turn affects the quality and quantity of truffles they produce. Simply right-click on the pig to pet it. A heart will appear, indicating that you’ve successfully petted it for the day.
Letting Pigs Outside
Pigs need to be let outside to find truffles. Open the barn door each morning to allow them to roam freely. They’ll wander around your farm, sniffing out truffles. Make sure your farm is fenced in to prevent them from wandering too far. Pigs will not produce truffles if they are confined indoors.
Truffles: The Pig’s Treasure
The primary reason to raise pigs is for their truffles. These valuable items can be sold for a significant profit or used in various recipes.
Finding Truffles
Pigs will dig up truffles while they roam outside. These truffles will be scattered around your farm, usually in areas with grass or dirt. Keep an eye out for them as you go about your daily tasks. The more space your pigs have to roam, the more truffles they’ll find.
The Importance of Foraging Skill
Your foraging skill affects the quality of truffles that your pigs find. As your foraging skill increases, your pigs are more likely to find higher quality truffles, such as silver, gold, and iridium quality truffles. The Botanist profession (level 10 foraging) guarantees that all foraged items are of iridium quality, including truffles found by pigs.
Selling Truffles
Truffles can be sold directly for a good price. The base price of a regular truffle is 625g. Silver quality truffles sell for 781g, gold quality for 937g, and iridium quality for 1250g. You can sell them by placing them in the shipping bin or by selling them directly to vendors.
Making Truffle Oil
A more profitable option is to process truffles into truffle oil. You can do this by placing truffles in an oil maker. Each truffle will produce one jar of truffle oil, which sells for 1,065g. This significantly increases the value of your truffles and makes pig farming even more lucrative. The recipe for the Oil Maker is obtained at Farming Level 8.
Maximizing Your Pig Profits
To truly maximize your profits from pigs, consider these strategies:
Invest in Multiple Pigs
The more pigs you have, the more truffles you’ll find. Fill your Deluxe Barn to its capacity (12 pigs) to maximize your truffle production. Remember that the initial investment is high, but the long-term returns are well worth it.
Optimize Your Farm Layout
Ensure your farm has plenty of open space for your pigs to roam. Remove any unnecessary obstacles that might prevent them from finding truffles. Consider creating a dedicated truffle-hunting area with plenty of grass.
Utilize Fences
Fences are essential for keeping your pigs contained and preventing them from wandering into areas where they might get stuck or lost. Regularly repair your fences to ensure they’re in good condition.
The Botanist Profession
As mentioned earlier, the Botanist profession is incredibly valuable for pig farming. It guarantees that all foraged items, including truffles, are of iridium quality, significantly increasing their value. If you’re serious about pig farming, consider focusing on leveling up your foraging skill.
Consider the Animal Husbandry Profession
The Animal Husbandry profession reduces friendship decay on farm animals, meaning that they’ll stay happier for longer. This can lead to higher quality truffles and overall increased productivity. This profession is gained at level 10 of the Farming skill.
Troubleshooting Common Pig Problems
Even with the best planning, you might encounter some issues while raising pigs. Here are some common problems and how to solve them:
Pigs Not Finding Truffles
If your pigs aren’t finding truffles, the most likely cause is a lack of space or grass. Make sure they have plenty of room to roam and that there’s sufficient grass available. Also, ensure that the barn door is open so they can go outside.
Pigs Getting Stuck
Pigs can sometimes get stuck behind objects or in corners. Regularly check your farm to make sure they’re not trapped anywhere. Fences can help prevent this by guiding them to open areas.
Pigs Not Eating
If your pigs aren’t eating, make sure they have access to either grass or hay. During winter, you’ll need to provide them with hay every day. Check the feeding troughs inside the barn to ensure they’re filled.
Conclusion: Embrace the Pig Life
Raising pigs in Stardew Valley can be a highly rewarding and profitable endeavor. By following this guide, you’ll be well-equipped to get pigs in Stardew Valley, care for them properly, and maximize your truffle profits. So, get ready to roll in the dough (or should we say, truffles?) and enjoy the delightful company of these snuffling companions. Remember to invest time in building a relationship with your animals; happy pigs mean more truffles and a more fulfilling farming experience. Good luck, and happy farming! [See also: Stardew Valley Farming Guide] [See also: Stardew Valley Animal Care Tips]
