how to feed animals in rimworld

3 min read 26-02-2025

Meta Description: Learn the essential techniques for successfully feeding your animals in RimWorld, from basic foraging to advanced strategies for maximizing efficiency and animal happiness. This comprehensive guide covers all aspects of animal husbandry, ensuring your furry, feathered, or scaled friends thrive! Master feeding schedules, diet choices, and more to build a prosperous and productive animal farm.

Understanding Animal Needs in RimWorld

Successfully managing animals in RimWorld hinges on understanding their dietary needs. Different animals have different preferences and requirements. Ignoring these needs can lead to unhappy animals, reduced productivity (less wool, milk, or meat), and even death.

Basic Foraging

Many animals, especially those found early in the game, will initially forage for themselves. They'll eat naturally occurring plants and insects within their designated pasture. This works best for smaller numbers of animals and in areas with abundant vegetation. However, this method is far from efficient once your colony expands.

Manually Feeding Animals

Manually feeding is crucial for efficiency and ensuring your animals receive a balanced diet. It's especially important for:

Animals with specific dietary needs: Some animals require specific plants or foods to thrive.
Animals in confined spaces: Animals kept in pens or barns won't have access to enough natural food.
Maximizing production: Providing a balanced diet increases the amount of resources (milk, wool, etc.) your animals produce.

Choosing the Right Food for Your Animals

Different animals have different diets:

Herbivores: These animals eat plants. Examples include:
- Deer: Enjoy most plants, particularly Pemmican
- Goats: A good source of milk, but careful with what you feed them.
- Alpaca: Enjoy Haygrass or similar.
Carnivores: These animals need meat. Examples include:
- Wolves: Require meat to survive.
Omnivores: These animals eat both plants and meat. Examples include:
- Bears: Will eat both plants and meat, but meat is preferred.
- Boars: Can be fed plants, but supplementing with meat improves growth and happiness.

Important Note: Always check the specific needs of each animal in-game. The information above serves as a general guideline.

Efficient Feeding Strategies

Building a dedicated stockpile

Designate a separate stockpile specifically for animal feed. This keeps your animal's food separate from your colonists' supplies, preventing accidental consumption or shortages.

Using Haygrass

Haygrass is a highly efficient food source for many herbivores. You can grow it in large quantities, making it a cornerstone of your animal husbandry strategy. Ensure you have sufficient space and resources to grow enough to meet the demands of your livestock.

Utilizing Animal Feeders

Animal feeders automate the feeding process. Simply fill the feeder with food, and the animals will eat from it automatically. This frees up your colonists' time and ensures consistent feeding. However, placing feeders requires space and consideration for the number of animals you have and their access to the feeder.

Scheduling Feeding Times

While animal feeders automate feeding, consider establishing a regular feeding schedule to maximize efficiency and monitor your animals’ health. Regular checks allow you to observe if an animal is sick, injured, or having trouble eating.

Troubleshooting Common Feeding Problems

Animals are starving: Check your food stockpile, animal health, and ensure they have access to food.
Animals are unhappy: Consider their environment, the quality of their food, and the presence of predators or diseases.
Animals are dying: Investigate for disease, starvation, or other health issues. Examine their food and housing for any problems.

Advanced Feeding Techniques

Creating specialized diets: For higher production, experiment with different food combinations to find the optimal diet for each animal type.
Breeding for efficient feeding: Select animals that eat less but produce more resources, creating a cost-effective and efficient animal husbandry system.

By following these strategies, you can ensure your animals are well-fed, happy, and productive, contributing to the success of your RimWorld colony. Remember that each animal is unique, so careful observation and adaptation are key to mastering animal husbandry in RimWorld.