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Animal Husbandry & Pens

Since the 1.3 patch, animal husbandry has undergone a massive overhaul. You can no longer simply zone your cows into the freezer or use abstract area restrictions to keep them safe.

Pen Enclosures​

Livestock such as cows, muffalos, and sheep require physically enclosed pens. They ignore abstract zone boundaries entirely and will wander off the map if not contained.

To create a functional pen:

  1. Build a perimeter using fences, barricades, or solid walls. Fences are cheap but offer no defense against predators.
  2. Install a fence gate or an animal flap (if using solid walls) so your pawns can enter the pen.
  3. Place a Pen Marker inside the enclosed area. This designates the space as an active pen and allows you to configure which animals are allowed inside.

Nutrition Calculations​

The Pen Marker is the most important tool for managing your herd. When you select it, the marker auto-calculates the nutrition-per-day metrics for the enclosed space based on the biome's grass regrowth rates.

You must balance your herd size against this metric. If you have too many animals in a small pen, they will consume all the grass faster than it can regrow, leading to mass starvation—especially during winter when grass dies off entirely. Always grow haygrass in a separate agricultural zone and haul it into an animal sleeping barn attached to the pen to supplement their diet during the cold months.

Roping and Handling​

Pawns assigned to the "Handle" work type manage your animals.

  • Roping: Handlers use the roping mechanic to retrieve wandering livestock and physically lead them back into their assigned pens.
  • Taming Exotics: Handling skill dictates what animals you can safely interact with. Attempting to tame high-yield, high-danger exotic animals (like Thrumbos or Megasloths) requires a massive minimum handling skill. Failing a tame attempt on these creatures often provokes a fatal retaliation, so do not let unskilled pawns anywhere near them.