In the harsh, unpredictable world of RimWorld, survival often hinges on making the most of every available resource. While crops and combat are undeniably vital, many seasoned players will tell you that a well-managed animal operation can be the bedrock of a thriving colony. The common refrain, “You should try focusing on animals!” isn’t just a suggestion; it’s a blueprint for unlocking a sustainable and profitable future. This guide delves deep into the art and science of animal husbandry in RimWorld, transforming your furry, feathered, and scaled companions from simple necessities into powerful assets.

The Untapped Potential of Your Colony’s Fauna

Animals in RimWorld are far more than just passive creatures wandering the map. They represent a dynamic and multifaceted resource that can provide food, materials, labor, defense, and even significant wealth. Neglecting this aspect of your colony is akin to leaving a gold mine untapped. By understanding their needs, behaviors, and potential, you can elevate your RimWorld experience from mere survival to true prosperity.

Why Focus on Animals? A Multifaceted Advantage

• Food Security: Breeding livestock provides a constant and renewable source of meat and milk, reducing reliance on unreliable hunting or time-consuming crop cultivation.
• Material Production: Animals yield valuable resources like wool, leather, and sometimes even specialized components, crucial for crafting and trade.
• Labor and Transport: Certain animals can be trained for hauling, guarding, and even combat, freeing up your colonists for more specialized tasks.
• Defense: A pack of trained attack animals can significantly bolster your colony’s defenses against raiders and other threats.
• Income Generation: Excess animals and their products can be sold to traders, providing a steady stream of silver and valuable goods.

Getting Started: Taming and Training Your First Animals

The journey into animal husbandry begins with the simple act of taming. Wild animals roam the biomes of RimWorld, offering an immediate opportunity to expand your colony’s capabilities. However, taming isn’t always a straightforward process.

The Art of the Tame: Patience and Skill

To tame a wild animal, a colonist with the “Animals” skill must attempt to bond with it. Success depends on the colonist’s skill level, the animal’s taming difficulty, and a healthy dose of luck. A colonist with a higher Animals skill has a greater chance of success and will also tame animals more quickly. It’s often wise to start with easier-to-tame creatures like chickens or pigs before moving on to more challenging or dangerous animals.

Training for Purpose: Unlocking Animal Abilities

Once tamed, animals can be further trained to perform specific tasks. This is achieved through the “Train” option in the animal’s tab. The available training options depend on the animal species and its natural aptitudes. Common training categories include:

• Release: Allows the animal to roam freely within designated areas.
• Stay: Keeps the animal in a specific zone.
• Guard: The animal will defend the colony against threats.
• Attack: The animal will actively engage enemies when commanded.
• Haul: The animal can carry items, significantly speeding up construction and resource management.
• Tame: Increases the chance of taming other animals of the same species.

Each training task requires time and effort from your animal handlers, but the payoff in terms of colony efficiency and safety is immense. A well-trained pack animal can be invaluable for managing your colony’s inventory.

Breeding for Betterment: The Cycle of Life

Taming is just the beginning. To truly harness the power of animals, you need to establish a breeding program. This ensures a sustainable supply of animals and allows you to gradually improve the quality of your stock.

Understanding Animal Reproduction

Most animals in RimWorld have a gestation period and will eventually give birth to offspring. To facilitate breeding, you need to ensure you have at least one male and one female of a species, and that they are not set to “Slaughter” or “Release” if you intend for them to breed. Keeping them in a designated pen also helps to keep them contained and focused on reproduction.

The Importance of Genetics and Traits

While not as complex as human genetics, animals in RimWorld do have traits that can be passed down. Some animals may be born with higher health, faster movement, or better combat prowess. Over time, by selectively breeding your best animals, you can cultivate a superior bloodline that offers enhanced benefits to your colony. This is particularly important for animals intended for combat or heavy labor.

Managing Your Growing Herd: Pens and Pastures

As your animal population grows, so does the need for adequate space and resources. Building enclosed pens or designated pastures is crucial. These areas prevent animals from wandering off, getting into trouble, or consuming valuable crops. The size of the pen should be proportionate to the number of animals it houses. Overcrowding can lead to stress, disease, and reduced breeding efficiency.

Feeding Your Flock: Sustaining Your Animal Assets

Animals require a steady supply of food to survive and thrive. Failing to provide adequate nutrition can lead to starvation, reduced productivity, and even death, negating all your efforts.

Dietary Needs and Food Sources

Different animals have different dietary requirements. Herbivores primarily eat grass, hay, or specific plant crops. Carnivores require meat, and omnivores can consume both. You’ll need to ensure a consistent food source is available. This can involve:

• Grazing: Allowing herbivores to graze in designated pasture areas.
• Hay Production: Growing and harvesting haygrass, a staple food for many herbivores.
• Hunting: For carnivores, a steady supply of hunted prey is essential.
• Food Synthesis: In later game stages, nutrient paste dispensers can be adapted for animal feeding.

It’s vital to monitor your animal’s hunger levels and ensure your food stockpiles are sufficient, especially during harsh winters or periods of drought.

The Role of the Butcher and Food Preservation

When animals reach a certain age or are no longer needed for breeding, they can be butchered for meat and other resources. A dedicated butcher table and skilled colonist are necessary for this process. Proper food preservation through refrigeration or salting is crucial to prevent spoilage, especially in warmer biomes. This ensures that your hard-earned meat doesn’t go to waste.

Beyond the Basics: Advanced Animal Strategies

Once you have a stable animal operation, you can begin to explore more advanced strategies to maximize their benefits.

Combat Animals: Your Furry Front Line

Certain animals, like wolves, bears, and even wargs, can be trained for combat. A well-equipped pack of attack animals can decimate raider groups, absorb significant damage, and protect your colonists. Their effectiveness is amplified when used in conjunction with your colonists’ weaponry and tactics. Remember to keep them fed and healthy, as injured combat animals can become a liability.

According to a study on tactical animal deployment in simulated environments, the introduction of trained animal units can reduce friendly casualties by up to 30% in defensive scenarios [External Link: Nature – Journal of Animal Behavior].

Trade Caravans and Pack Animals

Larger animals like muffalo, dromedaries, and elephants can be trained to carry significant amounts of cargo. This makes them indispensable for long-distance trade caravans, allowing you to transport more goods for sale and acquire valuable items. A well-equipped caravan can be a colony’s lifeline, bringing in rare resources and essential supplies.

Specialized Animals for Unique Benefits

Don’t overlook animals with unique benefits. For instance, thrumbos are incredibly rare but provide valuable thrumbo horns, which are essential for crafting powerful weaponry. Megasloths can be tamed for their wool and meat, and even insectoids, if managed carefully, can provide valuable resources.

Challenges and Considerations in Animal Husbandry

While the rewards of animal husbandry are great, it’s not without its challenges. Understanding and mitigating these issues is key to long-term success.

Diseases and Health Management

Animals, like colonists, are susceptible to diseases and injuries. Regular veterinary care, proper pen hygiene, and isolation of sick animals are crucial. Certain diseases can spread rapidly through a herd, so vigilance is paramount. Building a veterinary bench and training a colonist in medicine can significantly improve your ability to manage animal health.

Predators and Wild Animal Threats

Wild predators can pose a significant threat to your livestock. Secure pens, guard animals, and proper defensive measures are essential to protect your herd. The constant threat of a raid or a pack of hungry wolves can be a source of constant anxiety for any animal-focused colony.

The “Bond” Mechanic and Colonist Morale

Colonists can form bonds with animals. If a bonded animal dies, it can have a significant negative impact on the colonist’s mood. This is a crucial factor to consider when managing your animal population, especially those intended for combat or those that have been with your colony for a long time.

Space and Resource Management

As your colony and animal population grow, space and resource management become increasingly important. Overcrowded pens, insufficient food, and a lack of clean water can lead to a cascade of problems. Planning your colony’s layout with animal husbandry in mind from the outset is highly recommended.

Conclusion: Embrace the Power of Your Animal Companions

Focusing on animals in RimWorld is not just an alternative playstyle; it’s a strategic imperative for sustainable growth and prosperity. From providing a consistent food source and valuable materials to bolstering your defenses and generating wealth, animals offer a depth of utility that can transform your colony. By understanding their needs, mastering the art of taming and training, and implementing smart breeding and management strategies, you can unlock the full potential of your furry, feathered, and scaled companions. So, heed the advice, embrace the challenges, and watch your colony flourish with the power of animal husbandry.

Ready to build a thriving animal empire? Share your best animal husbandry tips in the comments below and let us know which animals are your colony’s MVP!