title: ๐ Animal & Ranching Profit Guide description: > Data version: Stardew Valley 1.6 | Complete animal products, breeding, profitability, and ranching strategies date: 2026-07-03
๐ Animal & Ranching Profit Guide
Data version: Stardew Valley 1.6 | Complete animal products, breeding, profitability, and ranching strategies
Animals are one of the most reliable income sources in Stardew Valley. This guide covers all farmable animals, their products, upgrade paths, breeding, and profit optimization.
Data from Stardew Valley Wiki v1.6
๐ Chickens
|| Item | Cost | Details | |:---|:---|:---| | Coop | 4,000g + 250 Wood | Holds 4 chickens | | Large Coop | 6,000g + 350 Wood | Holds 8 chickens + auto-feeder | | Chicken (Rooster/Hen) | 800g | Buy from Marnie's Ranch | | Egg | Free (daily) | Hen produces 1 egg/day when happy | | Large Egg | Free (daily) | Happy chicken produces large egg | | Gold Large Egg | Free (weekly) | Very happy chicken (10 hearts) |
Product Values
| Product | Base Price | Large Price | Gold Price | Processing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayonnaise | 50g โ 190g | 80g โ 304g | 100g โ 380g | 3.8x markup | |
| Dinosaur Mayonnaise | โ | โ | โ | N/A (duck only) |
Daily Profit (Per Chicken)
| Scenario | Daily Income | Weekly Income | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sad chicken (regular egg) | 50g/day | 350g | |
| Happy chicken (large egg) | 80g/day | 560g | |
| Very happy (gold egg) | 100g/week | 100g | |
| Mayonnaise machine (large egg) | 304g/day | 2,128g |
๐ฆ Ducks
|| Item | Cost | Details | |:---|:---|:---| | Duck | 1,600g | Buy from Marnie's Ranch (requires coop) | | Duck Egg | 95g | Larger than chicken egg | | Large Duck Egg | 140g | Happy duck | | Gold Duck Egg | 175g | Very happy duck |
Product Values
| Product | Base Price | Large Price | Gold Price | Processing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duck Mayonnaise | 95g โ 275g | 140g โ 405g | 175g โ 508g | 2.9x markup |
Daily Profit (Per Duck)
| Scenario | Daily Income | Weekly Income | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sad duck (regular egg) | 95g/day | 665g | |
| Happy duck (large egg) | 140g/day | 980g | |
| Mayonnaise machine (large) | 405g/day | 2,835g |
Ducks can swim in the pond โ this makes them slightly happier and more productive. They also produce eggs even in winter (unlike chickens in older versions, though 1.6 fixed this).
๐ Cows
|| Item | Cost | Details | |:---|:---|:---| | Barn | 6,000g + 350 Wood | Holds 5 cows | | Large Barn | 12,000g + 400 Wood | Holds 8 cows + auto-feeder | | Cow | 2,000g | Buy from Marnie's Ranch | | Milk | 190g | Produced daily when happy | | Large Milk | 225g | Happy cow |
Product Values
| Product | Base Price | Large Price | Processing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheese | 190g โ 230g | 225g โ 274g | 1.2x markup | |
| Gold Cheese | โ | โ | 300g |
Daily Profit (Per Cow)
| Scenario | Daily Income | Weekly Income | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sad cow (milk) | 190g/day | 1,330g | |
| Happy cow (large milk) | 225g/day | 1,575g | |
| Cheese press (large milk) | 274g/day | 1,918g | |
| Gold water can (cheese) | 300g/day | 2,100g |
๐ Goats
|| Item | Cost | Details | |:---|:---|:---| | Goat | 2,500g | Buy from Marnie's Ranch | | Goat Milk | 225g | Produced daily when happy | | Large Goat Milk | 275g | Happy goat |
Product Values
| Product | Base Price | Large Price | Processing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goat Cheese | 225g โ 375g | 275g โ 459g | 1.7x markup | |
| Gold Goat Cheese | โ | โ | 625g |
Daily Profit (Per Goat)
| Scenario | Daily Income | Weekly Income | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sad goat (milk) | 225g/day | 1,575g | |
| Happy goat (large milk) | 275g/day | 1,925g | |
| Cheese press (large) | 459g/day | 3,213g | |
| Gold water can (cheese) | 625g/day | 4,375g |
Goats are the most profitable animal per unit when kegged/cheesed. The higher base price of goat milk translates to significantly higher goat cheese profits.
๐ Sheep
|| Item | Cost | Details | |:---|:---|:---| | Sheep | 1,600g | Buy from Marnie's Ranch | | Wool | 340g | Shorn every 4 days when happy | | Gold Wool | 470g | Very happy sheep |
Product Values
| Product | Base Price | Gold Price | Processing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloth | 340g โ 470g | 470g โ 651g | 1.4x markup |
Daily Profit (Per Sheep)
| Scenario | Income (per 4 days) | Daily Average | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sad sheep (wool) | 340g | 85g/day | |
| Happy sheep (wool) | 470g | 118g/day | |
| Cloth press (happy) | 651g | 163g/day |
Sheep are the lowest-return animal due to the 4-day shearing interval and modest cloth markup. Only keep sheep if you need wool for quests or the Deer Scanner.
๐ท Pigs
|| Item | Cost | Details | |:---|:---|:---| | Pig | 1,600g | Buy from Marnie's Ranch (requires barn) | | Truffle | 290g | Found outdoors in Fall (any tree shade) | | Large Truffle | 360g | Very happy pig | | Gold Truffle | 500g | Max happiness pig |
Product Values
| Product | Base Price | Processing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preserves Jar (Truffle Jelly) | 290g โ 725g | 2.5x markup | |
| Gold Truffle (jelly) | 500g โ 1,250g | 2.5x markup |
Daily Profit (Per Pig)
| Scenario | Fall Income (per 7 days) | Daily Average | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Happy pig (truffle) | ~290g ร 7 | 290g/day | |
| Preserves jar (truffle) | ~725g ร 7 | 725g/day | |
| Very happy (large truffle) | ~360g ร 7 | 360g/day | |
| Max happy (gold truffle) | ~500g ร 7 | 500g/day | |
| Jelly (gold truffle) | ~1,250g ร 7 | 1,250g/day |
Pigs are the highest single-animal profit in Fall. A happy pig finds 1 truffle per day under trees. With preservers jar, that's 725g/day per pig. No other animal comes close in Fall.
๐ Bees
|| Item | Cost | Details | |:---|:---|:---| | Bee Hive | 2,500g + 100 Wood | Buy from Willy or craft | | Big Bee Hive | 4,000g + 100 Wood | Buy from Willy or craft | | Honey | 150g | Produced every 4 days | | Large Honey | 200g | Happy bees | | Gold Honey | 250g | Very happy bees | | Bee Box (Wild Honey) | Free | Place near wild flowers |
Product Values
| Product | Base Price | Processing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jelly (honey) | 150g โ 375g | 2.5x markup | |
| Gold Honey (jelly) | 250g โ 625g | 2.5x markup | |
| Bee House + Fairy Rose | โ | Truffle Oil 180g |
Daily Profit (Per Bee Hive)
| Scenario | Income (per 4 days) | Daily Average | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sad bees (honey) | 150g | 37.5g/day | |
| Happy bees (large honey) | 200g | 50g/day | |
| Jelly (happy bees) | 500g | 125g/day | |
| Gold honey jelly | 625g | 156g/day |
Bees need flowers nearby to produce honey. Plant fairy roses, poppies, or spring flowers around hives for maximum output. Truffle Oil from bee houses + fairy roses sells for 180g โ excellent passive income.
๐ Slimes
|| Item | Cost | Details | |:---|:---|:---| | Slime Egg (Green) | Free | Slime Hutchไบงๅบ | | Slime Egg (Blue) | Free | Slime Hutchไบงๅบ | | Slime Egg (Purple) | Free | Slime Hutchไบงๅบ | | Slime Egg (Gold) | Free | Slime Hutchไบงๅบ | | Slime Egg (Ocean) | Free | Slime Hutchไบงๅบ | | Slime Hutch | 10,00g + 200 Stone + 100 Wood | Dedicated building |
Product Values
| Product | Base Price | Processing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Slime Egg | 50g | โ | |
| Blue Slime Egg | 100g | โ | |
| Purple Slime Egg | 200g | โ | |
| Gold Slime Egg | 400g | โ | |
| Ocean Slime Egg | 150g | โ | |
| Slime | Free | Drop from slimes | |
| Slime Egg (incubated) | 50-400g | Sell or breed |
Slime Hutch on Ginger Island lets you breed slimes for egg sales. Gold slimes produce the most valuable eggs.
๐ Rabbits
|| Item | Cost | Details | |:---|:---|:---| | Rabbit | 1,600g | Buy from Marnie's Ranch (requires large coop) | | Rabbit's Wool | 420g | Collected every 4 days | | Lucky Rabbit's Foot | Free | Rare drop from rabbits |
Product Values
| Product | Base Price | Processing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloth (rabbit wool) | 420g โ 470g | 1.1x markup |
Rabbits have poor profit ROI โ the 4-day cycle and minimal cloth markup make them less profitable than other animals. Keep them for the Lucky Rabbit's Foot (quest item) or if you have excess coop space.
๐ Dinosaur
|| Item | Cost | Details | |:---|:---|:---| | Dinosaur Egg | 500g (Traveling Cart) or hatch from geode | Rare find | | Dinosaur Mayonnaise | 350g โ 800g | 2.3x markup | | Dinosaur Wool | โ | โ |
Daily Profit (Per Dinosaur)
| Scenario | Daily Income | |
|---|---|---|
| Mayonnaise machine | 800g/day |
Dinosaurs produce mayonnaise daily โ the highest daily artisan product from any animal. The 500g seed cost pays back in less than 1 day of mayonnaise production.
๐ Animal Profit Comparison
|| Animal | Product | Base Price | Processed Price | Daily Profit | Weekly Profit | |:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---| | Pig (Fall) | Truffle Jelly | 725g | 725g | 725g | 5,075g | | Pig (Fall) | Gold Truffle Jelly | 1,250g | 1,250g | 1,250g | 8,750g | | Dinosaur | Dinosaur Mayo | 800g | 800g | 800g | 5,600g | | Goat | Goat Cheese | 459g | 459g | 459g | 3,213g | | Cow | Cheese | 274g | 274g | 274g | 1,918g | | Duck | Duck Mayo | 405g | 405g | 405g | 2,835g | | Chicken | Mayonnaise | 304g | 304g | 304g | 2,128g | | Sheep | Cloth | 163g | 163g | 163g | 1,141g | | Bee Hive | Honey Jelly | 156g | 156g | 156g | 1,092g | | Rabbit | Cloth | 118g | 118g | 118g | 826g |
๐๏ธ Ranching Strategy by Game Phase
Early Game (Year 1, Spring-Summer)
Priority: Chickens โ Mayonnaise Machine
Investment: 800g chicken + 4,000g coop + 4,000g machine
Daily Income: 304g/day per chicken
Strategy: Start with 4 chickens, max out mayonnaise production
Mid Game (Year 1, Fall-Winter)
Priority: Add Pigs (Fall only) + Goats
Investment: 1,600g pig + 2,500g goat
Daily Income: 725g/day (pig) + 459g/day (goat cheese)
Strategy: Maximize Fall pig profits, transition to goats in Winter
Late Game (Year 2+)
Priority: Dinosaurs + Bee Houses + Truffle Oil
Investment: 500g dinosaur egg + 2,500g bee hives
Daily Income: 800g/day (dino) + 156g/day (bee) + 725g/day (pig Fall)
Strategy: Diversify. Dinosaurs for steady income, pigs for Fall spikes
๐ Animal Happiness System
| Happiness | Indicator | Effect | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 hearts | ๐ข Sad | Regular products, may refuse to leave coop/barn | |
| 1-4 hearts | ๐ Unhappy | Small chance of large products | |
| 5-7 hearts | ๐ Happy | Large products guaranteed, leaves building automatically | |
| 8-9 hearts | ๐ Very Happy | Gold products possible | |
| 10 hearts | โค๏ธ Max Happy | Gold products guaranteed, special events |
How to Increase Happiness
|| Action | Hearts Gained | |:---|:---| | Pet animal daily | +1 heart/day (up to 10) | | Auto-petter machine | +0.5 hearts/day | | Large Auto-Petter | +1 hearts/day | | Leave animal outside (chickens/ducks) | +1 heart/day (good weather) | | Feed hay in winter | Prevents happiness loss | | Rain/snow (coop animals inside) | No penalty |
Auto-Petter Comparison
|| Machine | Cost | Effect | |:---|:---|:---| | Auto-Petter | 10,000g | Pets 1 animal every few minutes | | Large Auto-Petter | 20,000g | Pets ALL animals every few minutes |
๐ก Ranching Tips
- Pigs in Fall are unbeatable โ Place them near trees, let them roam, collect truffles daily. One pig can earn 725-1,250g/day.
- Goat cheese > Cow cheese โ The 1.7x markup on goat milk beats the 1.2x on cow milk. Prioritize goats once you can afford them.
- Dinosaur mayonnaise is the best daily artisan product โ 800g/day with no inputs after purchase. ROI in less than 1 day.
- Auto-petter is worth it for large ranches โ At 8+ animals, the time saved petting adds up to hours per week.
- Bee hives near flowers โ Place hives next to fairy roses, poppies, or spring flowers for maximum honey output.
- Rabbits are niche โ Only keep for Lucky Rabbit's Foot quests. Poor ROI compared to chickens.
- Sheep are the worst animal โ 4-day shearing cycle + low cloth markup. Skip unless you need wool.
- Gold Watering Can for animals โ Increases chance of gold-quality products. Essential for max profits.
All prices and values are based on Stardew Valley 1.6.9. Animal products may vary slightly with professions (Coopmaster gives +20% chicken products, Rancher gives +25% animal products).