RimWorld: Wildlife and Animal Husbandry

Welcome to our comprehensive guide, RimWorld: Wildlife and Animal Husbandry! Whether you're a seasoned RimWorld veteran or just starting off on your colonizing journey, mastering the intricacies of wildlife and animal management can make all the difference between survival and thriving. Dive into our detailed breakdown as we explore essential topics such as Hunting and Taming Animals, Breeding and Managing Livestock, Using Animals for Labor and Defense, Managing Animal Health and Breeding, and indispensable Tips for Efficient Animal Management. Get ready to revolutionize your colony by turning the wild into your greatest asset!

Hunting and Taming Animals

In RimWorld, mastering the fine arts of hunting and taming animals can mean the difference between survival and disaster. Whether you need to secure food for your colony or build a stable source of resources, learning how to handle wildlife is crucial. Here’s your guide to become the ultimate RimWorld ranger.

Hunting: Bringing Home the Bacon

Hunting animals is a primary way to get meat in RimWorld, so let’s dive in.

Choosing Your Prey

Before sending your pawns off with their bows and guns, you need to decide which animals to hunt. Here’s what to consider:

• Size and Danger: Smaller animals like rabbits and squirrels are easy targets. Bigger animals like deer and elk yield more meat but can fight back. Beware of aggressive predators like bears and cougars - they can turn the hunter into the hunted.
• Season and Migration: Some animals are seasonal. For instance, you’ll see more rabbits in spring. Monitor your wildlife tab to see what’s around and when they’re likely to leave.
• Hunger and Health: Starving animals might be more aggressive. Make sure your pawns are healthy and not starving - you don’t want them passing out mid-hunt.

Tools of the Trade

Your pawns need the right tools to hunt effectively:

• Weapons: Equip your hunters with ranged weapons. Bows are decent early game, but rifles and sniper rifles are better as you progress. Avoid melee weapons for hunting animals to keep your pawns at a safe distance.
• Skills: Pawns with higher Shooting or Melee skills (8+) are ideal hunters. Animals have different difficulty levels to hit; skilled hunters waste fewer shots.

Setting Up the Hunt

To start hunting:

1. Designate the Animal: Open the wildlife tab, select the animal you want, and click the “Hunt” button.
2. Check Hunters: Make sure your assigned hunters are correctly equipped and not tied up with other tasks. Use the Work tab to manage their priorities.
3. Monitor: Keep an eye on your hunters. If they get attacked, you might need to send reinforcements or cancel the hunt.

Taming: Making Furry Friends

Taming is more delicate than hunting but incredibly rewarding. Domesticated animals can provide food, defend your colony, and even haul items.

Choosing the Right Animal

Different animals offer different benefits:

• Livestock: Chickens, cows, and muffalos are great for food production. They provide milk, meat, and eggs regularly.
• Pets and Work Animals: Dogs and cats can be trained for companionship or simple tasks. Animals like elephants can carry a ton of items and haul resources.
• Guard Animals: Wolves and bears make excellent protectors. They can be trained to attack threats to your pawns and property.

Taming Process

Here’s how to successfully tame an animal:

1. Select a Tamer: Choose a pawn with a high Animal skill (6+ is good; higher is better). They should also have a kind or careful trait if possible.
2. Designate the Animal: Click on the animal you want to tame, then click “Tame.” Your tamer will need food in their inventory - vegetables like corn or berries work well.
3. Patience and Persistence: Taming takes several visits. During each visit, the taming chance is calculated based on your pawn’s skill and the animal’s tameness. Keep trying until success.

Managing Your New Pets

Once tamed, you need to ensure your new pets are happy and useful:

• Zoning: Use the “Animal Zones” to control where animals can go. Keep them out of your food stores unless you want surprise feasts.
• Training: Train your animals in various skills like hauling, rescue, and combat. This makes them much more valuable. Use the Training tab for this.

Feeding and Health

Tamed animals need food and care:

• Food: Make sure you have dedicated animal feeding zones with appropriate food. Herbivores eat plants and vegetables, omnivores eat almost anything, and carnivores need meat.
• Health: Animal handlers must tend to injured animals. Tilt the balance in your favor by keeping medical supplies ready. Also, watch for diseases which can spread quickly among livestock.

Conclusion

Hunting and taming animals in RimWorld isn’t just about filling bellies; it’s about making strategic decisions for the long haul survival of your colony. Carefully choose your prey, stay alert during the hunt, and when it comes to taming, channel your inner Dr. Dolittle.

Happy hunting, and may your colony thrive with the help of your newfound animal friends!

Breeding and Managing Livestock

So, you’ve come to the point in RimWorld where you’re ready to manage a herd of cuddly critters. Great choice! Livestock can provide meat, milk, wool, and even companionship. Let’s dive into the basics of breeding and managing your furry (or feathered) friends.

Choosing the Right Animals

Not all animals are created equal in RimWorld. Some animals, like chickens and cows, are common choices because they’re straightforward to manage and provide essential resources like eggs and milk. Here are a few options you might consider:

• Chickens: These cluckers are fantastic for eggs but require regular feeding and can overpopulate quickly.
• Cows: Good old Bessie will provide milk daily and can be butchered for a decent amount of meat.
• Muffalos: These fluffy giants offer wool, milk, and are strong pack animals for hauling.
• Pigs: They’re less maintenance compared to chickens and cows. They eat pretty much anything and breed fast.

Setting Up Animal Zones

The first step in managing livestock is to create a dedicated space for them. Use the Architect menu to create an Animal Zone where your livestock can roam and graze. Make sure this zone has:

• Food: Grass, hay, or kibble to keep them fed.
• Shelter: Construct animal sleeping spots or beds to protect them from bad weather.
• Fencing: Keep predators out and prevent your animals from wandering off.

Breeding Basics

Breeding animals isn’t too complicated, but there are a few things you should know:

1. Age: Make sure your animals are old enough to breed. Check their info tabs for details.
2. Pairs: You’ll need both male and female animals for breeding.
3. Manage Pregnancy: Pregnant animals will need extra food and care. Keep an eye on their health and make sure they’re well-fed.

With time, you’ll notice baby animals popping up in your colony. Baby animals will need extra care. They’re more vulnerable to diseases and predators.

Feeding Your Herd

Keeping your livestock well-fed is crucial. Different animals require different diets:

• Herbivores: Grass and hay are staples for herbivores like cows, muffalos, and alpacas.
• Omnivores: Animals like pigs will eat almost anything - vegetables, meat, or kibble.
• Carnivores: If you have carnivorous animals, ensure a steady supply of raw meat or kibble.

You can grow haygrass during the growing season to ensure a good supply of hay for winter. Consider setting up food stockpiles near your animal zones to make feeding easier.

Handling Animal Illnesses

Animals can get sick just like your colonists. Keep a close eye on their health tabs for any signs of illness. If they do get sick:

• Medicine: Have some herbal medicine or better on hand to treat them.
• Dedicated Animal Beds: Sick animals will heal faster in proper animal beds.
• Veterinary Care: Assign a colonist with a high animal handling skill to tend to ill animals.

Training and Assigning Roles

Many animals can be trained for different tasks:

• Hauling: Muffalos and dogs can be trained to haul items, reducing the workload of your colonists.
• Rescue: Some animals can be trained to rescue downed colonists.
• Guarding: Dogs can be trained to guard certain areas and even attack intruders.

To train an animal, select a colonist with high animal handling skill and assign training tasks from the animal’s training tab.

Managing Population Control

Overpopulation can become a serious problem. Too many animals mean more mouths to feed which can strain your resources. Here’s how you can control the population:

1. Butchering: Regularly butcher surplus animals to keep herd sizes manageable and provide meat and leather.
2. Selling: Sell excess livestock to traders for silver or goods.
3. Neutering: Neuter animals you don't want to breed. This can be done from the operations tab.

Final Tips

• Seasons Matter: Plan ahead for winter when grass is scarce. Stockpile hay and kibble during the growing seasons.
• Defense: Keep an eye out for predators and raiders. Animals can be sitting ducks if left unprotected.
• Bonding: Colonists can sometimes bond with animals, which is cute but can be sad if something happens to the pet.

Managing livestock can be a rewarding part of your RimWorld experience. With good planning and care, your colony will thrive with the bounty from your herd. Happy farming!

Using Animals for Labor and Defense

In RimWorld, animals can be much more than adorable companions or tasty meals. With the right training, animals can do some heavy lifting--both figuratively and literally. Whether you're looking to enhance your colony’s productivity or bolster your defenses, here's a guide on making the most out of your furry (or scaly) friends.

Training Basics

Before your animals can start working, they need to be trained. Here's the 101 on training your pets:

1. Taming First: You need to tame wild animals before you can start training them. Select a colonist with high Animal skill, then click on a wild animal and select 'Tame'.

2. Training Menu: Once an animal is tamed, open the animal’s training tab. You’ll see several tasks they can learn - 'Obedience', 'Release', 'Rescue', 'Haul', and more. Each task requires different levels of the Animal skill.

Using Animals for Defense

Animals can be formidable allies in a fight. Here’s how to turn them into your personal army:

1. Train for Attack: To make animals combat-ready, train them in 'Obedience' and 'Release'. 'Obedience' means they'll follow a handler’s orders, and 'Release' means they’ll attack designated targets during a fight.

2. Strategic Positioning: Place your animals near the front lines but not directly in the path of danger. Use them to flank enemies or guard choke points.

3. Combat Animals: Some animals are better suited for fighting than others. Wolves, bears, and panthers make great combat pets due to their high hit points and attack damage. Elephants and rhinos are the tanks of the animal kingdom.

4. Utilizing Numbers: A swarm of smaller animals, like boomalopes or chickens, can overwhelm enemies with sheer numbers. Plus, boomalopes explode on death, adding some extra boom to your defense.

Using Animals for Labor

Beyond being your defenders, animals can help with everyday tasks:

1. Hauling: Training animals to haul is a game-changer. They’ll collect items and bring them to stockpiles, saving your colonists' time and increasing overall efficiency. Prioritize 'Haul' training for strong, obedient animals like dogs and muffalos.

2. Rescue: If things go bad in a fight, trained animals can rescue downed colonists and carry them to safety. Make sure your bigger animals like elephants and bears are trained in rescue operations.

3. Riding and Caravans: If you’ve got the 'Royalty' DLC, some animals can be ridden, speeding up travel. Animals like dromedaries and horses are great for caravans, carrying tons of goods without slowing you down.

Managing Your Animal Workforce

Keeping an army of animals isn’t always easy. Here are some tips to keep your furry workforce in top shape:

1. Feeding: Make sure you have enough food. Haygrass fields and kibble production will keep your animals fed.

2. Health Care: Set up animal beds in designated animal hospitals. Train your colonists in veterinary skills to treat injuries and diseases.

3. Zoning: Use zones to keep animals where you want them - away from crops or sensitive areas but close enough to respond quickly in case of attacks.

4. Breeding: Manage breeding to keep a steady supply of new workers and soldiers. Pay attention to mating pairs and control population growth to avoid a food crisis.

By optimizing your animal labor and defense, you can create a more self-sustaining and secure colony. Train wisely, feed well, and always appreciate the hard work of your animal companions. They might just save your colony someday.

Managing Animal Health and Breeding

RimWorld isn't just about keeping your colonists alive--it's also about keeping your animals healthy and happy. Managing animal health and breeding is crucial if you want a thriving colony and a steady supply of meat, milk, wool, and hauling helpers. Here's a breakdown of what you need to know.

Animal Health

1. Basic Care: Just like your colonists, animals in RimWorld need food, rest, and medical attention. Ensure they have a constant supply of kibble, hay, or whatever they eat. Designate sleeping spots for them inside safe areas to keep them from getting picked off by predators.

2. Treatment: Injuries or illnesses can cripple your animals. Assign colonists with high medical skills to treat them. Build an animal medical bed for serious injuries--it's worth the investment. Watch out for infections and make sure they're treated quickly, or you might lose your precious pets.

3. Health Monitoring: Regularly check your animals’ health tab. It shows their wounds, illnesses, and overall well-being. Act fast if something’s wrong. Animals with permanent injuries might need euthanasia if they're suffering too much or can't contribute to the colony anymore.

Breeding

1. Choosing Breeders: Select animals with the best traits to breed. For instance, if you want faster pack animals, choose those with higher movement speeds. For more milk or wool, pick those with better production stats.

2. Breeding Environment: Create a comfortable environment to encourage breeding. Temperature-controlled barns with plenty of food nearby will help. Make sure they’re safe from predators and have enough space to move around.

3. Managing Population: Overpopulation can be a problem. Too many animals drain resources and make it harder to manage health. Consider selling excess animals to traders or using them for meat. Keep track of male-to-female ratios to control the birth rate.

Special Tips

1. Training: Trained animals can be game-changers. Train dogs to haul items or rescue injured colonists. Train animals to guard the colony from raiders. Check the training tab and prioritize necessary skills.

2. Genetic Variety: Avoid inbreeding as it can result in weaker offspring with lower stats. Introduce new animals from time to time to keep your animal gene pool healthy.

3. Critical Situations: In emergencies (like famine), prioritize feeding your most valuable animals and let the less critical ones fend for themselves. It’s harsh, but necessary for survival.

Fun Fact

Did you know you can bond with animals in RimWorld? Some colonists naturally bond with their pets, which boosts morale but can lead to emotional breakdowns if the pet dies. Handle these bonds with care!

Keeping your animals healthy and managing successful breeding programs can ensure your colony remains self-sufficient and prepared for any challenges. Happy farming, and may your colonists and critters thrive!

RimWorld: Wildlife and Animal Husbandry

Tips for Efficient Animal Management

Managing animals in RimWorld can be a game-changer, giving you food, protection, and even friends. Here's a guide to make sure you're getting the most out of your furry (or feathered) friends.

Choosing the Right Animals

Not all animals are created equal. Some are great for combat, while others are best for farming or companionship. Here's a quick rundown:

• Combat Pets: Dogs, cougars, and bears are fantastic at defending your colony.
• Livestock: Cows, chickens, and muffalos provide a steady supply of food and resources like milk and wool.
• Pack Animals: Camels and muffalos are ideal for caravans thanks to their high carrying capacity.
• Haulers: Dogs and pigs can be trained to haul items, significantly freeing up your colonists' time.

Training Animals

Training animals can be the difference between life and death. Here's how to get started:

1. Assign a Trainer: Make sure one of your colonists has a decent Animal Handling skill. The higher the skill, the quicker and more reliable the training.
2. Priority Training: Train animals in order of usefulness. Start with Obedience, then move on to Hauling (if the animal can haul), and finally Attack if you need combat support.
3. Use Kibble and Treats: Using Kibble or treats during training speeds up the process. It’s worth the investment.

Animal Zones

Keeping your animals in the right areas is crucial:

• Home Zone: Set a safe home zone where your animals can stay without wandering into dangerous areas.
• Specific Zones: Create zones for different purposes--like grazing fields for herbivores and sleeping areas that are sheltered from the elements.

Feeding Your Animals

Feeding animals can take a toll on your food supplies if you’re not careful. Here’s how to manage it:

• Grazing: Herbivores can graze on grass, so let them roam in designated pastures.
• Nutritious Kibble: Kibble is a great all-around food for most animals. Make it from excess crops and meat.
• Food Priorities: Set food priorities to ensure your animals aren’t eating meals meant for your colonists.

Breeding and Population Control

Overpopulation can become a problem, leading to food shortages and disease. Here’s how to control it:

• Monitor Breeding: Manage which animals are allowed to breed. Keep an eye on population numbers.
• Sell or Slaughter: Don’t hesitate to sell or slaughter animals for resources. This will keep the population in check and provide valuable commodities.

Medical Care

Animals get hurt and sick too. Proper care keeps them healthy and happy:

• Animal Beds: Provide animal beds for quicker recovery from injuries and illnesses.
• Medicine: Allocate some medicine for animals. A little investment can save a valuable pet or livestock from infections.

Caravan and Combat Use

Using animals in caravans and combat can be incredibly useful:

• Caravan Packing: Use pack animals to carry more supplies. Keep them fed and rested along the way.
• Combat Support: Deploy combat-trained animals during raids. Use them to flank enemies or protect key colonists.

Regular Tasks

Don’t forget the mundane, but important, tasks to keep your animals in top shape:

• Clean Habitats: Keep animal zones clean to avoid diseases and mood penalties.
• Check Health: Regularly check the health tab for injuries and illnesses. Treat them immediately.

By following these tips, you’ll ensure that your animals are not just surviving, but thriving. Happy managing!