In the whimsical world of Stardew Valley, hay is an essential resource for maintaining the health and productivity of your animals. Here’s a detailed guide at the various methods to obtain hay, how to store it efficiently, and the associated costs and benefits. By mastering hay management, you can ensure your animals are well-fed and your farm operates smoothly throughout the year.
Why Hay Matters
Hay is crucial for feeding your animals, especially during winter and rainy days when they cannot graze outside. Proper feeding ensures animals remain happy and productive, leading to higher quality products and increased farm profits.
Method 1: Building a Silo
Building a Silo:
To start collecting hay from grass, you need to build a silo. Here’s how you can do it:
Visit Robin’s Carpenter Shop: Robin’s shop is open from 9 AM to 5 PM, except on Tuesdays. To build a silo, you need the following materials:
Constructing the Silo: Talk to Robin and select “Construct Farm Buildings.” Choose the silo and place it on your farm. The construction takes two days .
Using the Silo:
Once your silo is built, you can start collecting hay:
Harvesting Grass: Use a scythe to cut down tall grass on your farm. Each tile of grass has a 50% chance of producing hay, while using a Golden Scythe increases this chance to 75%.
Storing Hay: The hay automatically goes into your silo. Each silo can hold up to 240 pieces of hay. If your silo is full, any additional hay will be lost unless you manually store it in a chest.
Method 2: Harvesting Wheat
Planting Wheat:
Buy wheat seeds from Pierre’s General Store and plant them. Wheat grows in summer and fall, and you need to water it daily.
Harvesting Wheat:
Use a scythe to harvest the wheat. Each harvest has a 40% chance of producing hay, which will go into your inventory. You can then manually transfer the hay to your silo by right-clicking the silo with the hay in your hands .
Method 3: Buying Hay
From Marnie’s Ranch:
Location: Marnie’s Ranch is located south of your farm, in Cindersap Forest. Her shop is open from 9 AM to 4 PM, except on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Cost: Hay can be purchased for 50 gold each. This is a reliable option, especially during winter when grass is not available .
From the Desert Trader:
Location: The Desert Trader is located in the Calico Desert.
Cost: You can trade 1 Omni Geode for 3 pieces of hay. This is a good option if you have extra geodes and need hay quickly.
Boosting Hay Production
Efficient Grass Planting:
Grass Starters: Purchase grass starter packs from Pierre’s General Store. Plant them around your farm and let the grass spread before harvesting. This maximizes the amount of hay you can collect.
Optimal Harvesting: Allow the grass to grow and spread over a few days before cutting it. This ensures you get the maximum yield from your grass patches.
Storing Excess Hay:
Using Chests: If your silos are full, store the excess hay in chests. This is particularly useful to prepare for winter when you’ll need a large supply of hay to keep your animals fed.
Multiple Silos: Consider building multiple silos to increase your hay storage capacity. This is especially important if you have a large number of animals .
Efficient Hay Management Tips
Upgrade Tools: Use the Golden Scythe to increase the chance of collecting hay from grass.
Plan Ahead: Build multiple silos and plant grass starters in early spring to ensure a steady supply of hay throughout the year.
Monitor Storage: Keep an eye on your silo capacity to avoid losing hay. Regularly check and transfer excess hay to chests.
Why Hay Matters
Hay is crucial for feeding your animals, especially during winter and rainy days when they cannot graze outside. Proper feeding ensures animals remain happy and productive, leading to higher quality products and increased farm profits.How to Get Hay
Method 1: Building a Silo
Building a Silo:To start collecting hay from grass, you need to build a silo. Here’s how you can do it:
Visit Robin’s Carpenter Shop: Robin’s shop is open from 9 AM to 5 PM, except on Tuesdays. To build a silo, you need the following materials:
- 100 stone
- 10 clay
- 5 copper bars
- 100 gold
| Material | Quantity | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Stone Clay Copper Bars Gold | 100 Mines 10 Diging Soil 5 Smelting Copper Ore 100 General | Breaking Rocks Geodes 5 Copper Ore per bar in-game currency |
Constructing the Silo: Talk to Robin and select “Construct Farm Buildings.” Choose the silo and place it on your farm. The construction takes two days .
Using the Silo:
Once your silo is built, you can start collecting hay:Harvesting Grass: Use a scythe to cut down tall grass on your farm. Each tile of grass has a 50% chance of producing hay, while using a Golden Scythe increases this chance to 75%.
Storing Hay: The hay automatically goes into your silo. Each silo can hold up to 240 pieces of hay. If your silo is full, any additional hay will be lost unless you manually store it in a chest.
| Silo Level | Capacity | Automation |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Silo Deluxe Silo | 240 hay 480 hay | Manual storage Automatic storage with autofeeders |
Method 2: Harvesting Wheat
Planting Wheat:Buy wheat seeds from Pierre’s General Store and plant them. Wheat grows in summer and fall, and you need to water it daily.
Harvesting Wheat:
Use a scythe to harvest the wheat. Each harvest has a 40% chance of producing hay, which will go into your inventory. You can then manually transfer the hay to your silo by right-clicking the silo with the hay in your hands .
| Activity | Season | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Planting Wheat Harvesting Wheat | Summer, Fall Summer, Fall | Wheat Seeds Scythe |
Method 3: Buying Hay
From Marnie’s Ranch:Location: Marnie’s Ranch is located south of your farm, in Cindersap Forest. Her shop is open from 9 AM to 4 PM, except on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Cost: Hay can be purchased for 50 gold each. This is a reliable option, especially during winter when grass is not available .
From the Desert Trader:
Location: The Desert Trader is located in the Calico Desert.Cost: You can trade 1 Omni Geode for 3 pieces of hay. This is a good option if you have extra geodes and need hay quickly.
| Vendor | Cost per Hay | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Marnie’s Ranch Desert Trader | 50 gold 1 Omni Geode for 3 hay | Reliable but costly Good for excess geodes |
Boosting Hay Production
Efficient Grass Planting:Grass Starters: Purchase grass starter packs from Pierre’s General Store. Plant them around your farm and let the grass spread before harvesting. This maximizes the amount of hay you can collect.
Optimal Harvesting: Allow the grass to grow and spread over a few days before cutting it. This ensures you get the maximum yield from your grass patches.
Storing Excess Hay:
Using Chests: If your silos are full, store the excess hay in chests. This is particularly useful to prepare for winter when you’ll need a large supply of hay to keep your animals fed.Multiple Silos: Consider building multiple silos to increase your hay storage capacity. This is especially important if you have a large number of animals .
Efficient Hay Management Tips
Upgrade Tools: Use the Golden Scythe to increase the chance of collecting hay from grass.Plan Ahead: Build multiple silos and plant grass starters in early spring to ensure a steady supply of hay throughout the year.
Monitor Storage: Keep an eye on your silo capacity to avoid losing hay. Regularly check and transfer excess hay to chests.
Common Questions
What are the best ways to get hay in Stardew Valley?
The best ways to get hay are by harvesting grass with a scythe after building a silo, harvesting wheat, and buying it from Marnie’s Ranch or the Desert Trader.
How do I store hay in Stardew Valley?
Hay is stored in silos. Each silo can hold up to 240 pieces of hay. You can also store excess hay in chests if your silos are full.
How much does it cost to build a silo?
Building a silo costs 100 gold, 100 stone, 10 clay, and 5 copper bars. It takes two days to construct.
Why do I need a silo in Stardew Valley?
A silo is essential for storing hay, which is needed to feed your animals during winter and rainy days when they cannot graze outside.