Stardew Valley Barn Guide: How to get, Tiers, Animals, and more

Stardew Valley Barn is an important structure that allows you to raise a variety of cattle. These animals not only add a touch of charm to your homestead but also provide valuable resources and a steady stream of income. Acquiring a barn is a significant step in transforming your little farm into a thriving venture.

The benefits of having a barn are plenty. Animals provide a daily source of sellable products like milk, eggs, and wool. These products can be directly sold for profit or used in crafting valuable recipes. Raising animals also contributes to completing bundles in the Community Center, which unlocks new areas and upgrades for your farm.

This guide will provide all the details you need to know to make the most out of your Stardew Valley Barn.

Stardew Valley Barn: Everything you need to know

How and where to unlock Stardew Valley Barn

The Barn can be purchased from Robin's Carpenter Shop (Image via ConcernedApe || YouTube @TheGamer)

As mentioned, acquiring the barn is pretty straightforward. Visit Robin's carpentry shop in the north of Pelican Town. Her shop is open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and closed on Tuesdays.

When you interact with Robin, select Build a new building and choose Barn from the available options. Once you've provided the required resources, Robin will construct your barn within a couple of days.

Stardew Valley Barn upgrades

Stardew Valley Barn can be leveled up after collecting sufficient resources (Image via ConcernedApe)

Stardew Valley Barn has three tiers, each offering more animal capacity and types. Your barn can be upgraded by talking to Robin at the Carpenter Shop once you've collected enough resources.

Barn: The most basic type of Barn to start your animal husbandry journey, available for 6,000 gold, 350 wood, and 150 stone at Robin’s shop. It can accommodate up to four animals and allows you to raise cows and ostriches.

Big Barn: The Big Barn is the first upgrade available for your barn, costing 12,000 gold, 450 wood, and 200 stone. Upgrading to a Big Barn expands the capacity to eight animals and unlocks the ability for your animals to produce offspring.

Deluxe Barn: The Deluxe Barn is the final upgrade for the barn in Stardew Valley. The cost to upgrade to a Deluxe Barn is 25,000 gold, 550 wood, and 300 stone. This barn can house a maximum of 12 animals and unlocks the ability to raise sheep and pigs which can be purchased from Marnie after the upgrade.

Stardew Valley Barn Animals

Stardew Valley Barn allows you to raise and sell animals and their produce. (Image via ConcernedApe)

Now that you have a barn and understand the different tiers, let's explore the types of animals you can raise in your barn. Each animal has its own personality, produce, and selling price.

a. Cow

Unlock: Can be purchased from Marnie at 1,500g.
Produce: Milk or Large Milk. (Depending upon friendship level)
Production Rate: One unit per day.
Selling Price: Large Milk (380g), Milk (250g).

Cows are a reliable source of daily income. Their milk can be further processed to make cheese and other profitable recipes.

b. Ostrich

Unlock: Barn and an Ostrich Egg.
Produce: Ostrich Eggs after reaching adulthood.
Production Rate: One Ostrich Egg every seven days.
Selling Price: 1,200g.

Ostriches can be obtained after unlocking the barn and incubating an Ostrich Egg. They take a long time to mature and produce feathers infrequently, but the selling price of 1000 gold for each feather makes them a worthy investment.

c. Goat

Unlock: Can be purchased from Marnie for 4,000g after unlocking Big Barn.
Produce: Goat Milk or Large Goat Milk (Depending upon friendship level).
Production Rate: One unit of Goat Milk per day.
Selling Price: Large Goat Milk (690g), Goat Milk (450g).

Just like cows, goats are another good source of daily income. Their milk sells higher than cows and can be transformed into cheese for an even higher selling price.

d. Sheep

Unlock: Can be purchased from Marnie for 8,000g after unlocking Deluxe Barn.
Produce: Wool
Production Rate: One unit of Wool every three days.
Selling Price: Wool (680g).

Sheep provide a steady stream of wool that can be used for crafting or sold directly. High-quality wool has a chance to produce two batches of Cloth, which can be sold for a high price.

e. Pig

Unlock: Can be purchased from Marnie for 16,000g after unlocking Deluxe Barn.
Produce: Truffles
Production Rate: One truffle per day.
Selling Price: Truffle (1,250g).

Pigs are a great late-game investment. They take a while to mature and then they can be left outside the farm where they will find one truffle every day. These truffles sell for a high price of 1,250g each, making pigs a worthy investment for late-game.

Stardew Valley Barn placement

Placing the barn in an open area helps increase the friendliness meter of barn animals (Image via ConcernedApe || YouTube @ezlilyy)

While the placement of your barn isn't crucial for its functionality, you can follow these steps to optimize it:

Reach: Place your barn in a central location with easy access from your farmhouse and other frequently visited areas. This will save you time when tending to your animals.

Grazing Area: Ensure there's enough space around the barn for your animals to graze freely. Leaving some grass patches allows them to fulfill their happiness needs and potentially increase the quality of their produce.

Aesthetics: Don't forget about aesthetics. Integrate your barn into the overall design of your farm. Planting trees or flowers around it can create a more visually pleasing environment.

Stardew Valley Barn: Tips for maximum efficiency

Taking care of barn animals leads to better produce (Image via ConcernedApe || YouTube @ezlilyy)

Keep your animals happy through petting, providing hay, and ensuring they have access to fresh grass to increase their friendship level. Increased friendship leads to higher quality products and even additional produce.

Once you unlock the Big Barn, animals can produce offspring. Breeding allows you to expand your livestock and increase the overall barn production. Once you have new farm animals, you can also sell them to make quick cash.

Furthermore, selling animals can help you optimize your income. For example, if you're aiming for quick daily income, prioritize cows or goats. If you're aiming for a long-term and high-value investment, consider raising ostriches or pigs.

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