In Stardew Valley, players can adopt a number of different farm animals, like cows, chickens, pigs, rabbits, and more. All of these animals eat hay, so players must figure out how to keep it in stock.
If you’re raising a good number of animals on your Stardew Valley farm, you’re going to need a lot of hay to keep them fed. Unfed critters won’t produce the milk, eggs, etc., you rely on as part of your farm income, so you want to maintain a good stock of food to keep them healthy, happy, and productive.
Related: Stardew Valley: How to Upgrade Your House
How to Get Hay in Stardew Valley from Marnie
In addition to selling baby animals you can raise on your farm, Stardew Valley’s resident animal whisperer, Marnie, sells supplies, including hay, making this a great place to stock up.
Marnie’s house doubles as her storefront, and you can get there by traveling South from your farm, leaving through the entrance at the bottom of the screen. Then, make a right, and you’ll see a building with a silo on the left and a pasture on the right.
You’ll be able to enter through the red door when Marnie is home with the door unlocked, but that doesn’t always mean she’s staffing her front desk. You’ll only be able to buy hay from Marnie during her store hours, even if she happens to be home, so it’s important to time your restocks of hay accordingly. Marnie’s store hours are as follows:
- Wednesday-Sunday 9 AM – 4 PM
- Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays and on Fall 18 and Winter 18
When Marnie’s ranch is open for business, you can purchase hay for 50g per unit. Each animal eats one unit per day, so you generally need a lot of the stuff if you’ve got a decent-sized farm. Marnie’s is the quickest and easiest way to get a lot of hay fast, but if you need to restock when she’s closed, don’t fear! There are a few other options.
How to Get Hay in Stardew Valley from Grass
In addition to buying hay from Marnie, farmers can harvest their own hay by growing and cutting grass on their land. This is a lower yield and can require a lot of space to get good results, but it works well in a pinch and to supplement your supply. Remember, you’ll only be able to store hay harvested this way after you’ve built a silo on your farm.
There will be some naturally growing grass on the un-tilled areas of your farm, which you can harvest at any time by using the scythe tool. Simply cut down the grass, and you should get some hay in return (it isn’t a 1:1 ratio, so not every swing of the tool will get you hay).
You can also purchase grass starter from Pierre’s General Store or create your own by crafting it from fiber.
Pierre’s store is located in the main area of town right in the center and is generally open from 9 AM – 5 PM, except on Wednesdays. He’ll sell you grass starter year round for 100g each, making this a much pricier way to get hay, especially given that not every patch of grass will yield hay when cut. However, it works in a pinch, especially if Marnie’s is closed and your animals are about to go hungry.
Another way to get grass starter is to craft your own. Each grass starter requires 10 fiber to craft. You can get fiber from cutting weeds with your scythe on your farm, around town, or in the mines. This can be a time-consuming option, but it will get you hay for the least gold. If you don’t yet have the recipe for grass starter, you can buy this from Pierre’s General Store as a one-time purchase for 1000g.
How to Get Hay in Stardew Valley from Wheat
Probably the least reliable way to get hay is to harvest wheat, which will occasionally yield a small amount of hay in addition to wheat you can mill into flour. The perk of this method is that you get wheat to sell or use in addition to the hay, which is sort of a bonus crop.
You can buy wheat seeds from Pierre’s general store during the summer and fall seasons for 10g.
To harvest hay from wheat, simply plant a bunch of wheat seeds on your farm. Wheat seeds, unlike grass starter, must be planted in a tilled plot. When the wheat is ready to harvest, use your scythe and you’ll receive wheat and the occasional bit of hay as well.
Regardless of the method you use, you’ll need to have plenty of hay on hand at all times for your farm animals. A combination of these ways to get hay in Stardew Valley should keep you and your animals happy.
