Stardew Valley Barns: Get, Upgrade, and Turn Animal Friendship Into Maximum Profit

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Stardew Valley Barns: Get, Upgrade, and Turn Animal Friendship Into Maximum Profit

Looking to build your first barn in Stardew Valley or upgrade your existing one? You’re in the right place! Barns are essential buildings that house larger animals like cows, goats, sheep, and pigs, providing you with valuable products to sell or craft into artisan goods. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know about barns - from construction to maximization. If you’re in a hurry, jump straight to the barn upgrade table for quick reference.

Getting Started With Your First Barn

Before you can raise animals like cows and pigs, you’ll need to build a barn on your farm. The barn is one of the first major farm buildings most players construct after getting established with basic crops.

Materials and Resources Needed

To build your first basic barn, you’ll need to gather the following resources:

These requirements are significant early in the game, so you might need to plan ahead. Wood can be gathered by chopping trees around your farm and the forest south of your farm. Stone can be gathered by breaking rocks or by exploring the mines. The 6,000 gold cost can be earned through farming, fishing, and foraging in your first spring.

One helpful strategy is to prioritize pine trees when gathering wood, as the recent 1.6.9 update increased their wood yield - pine trees now drop one extra wood when chopped down. This makes gathering the required 350 wood slightly faster.

Finding the Perfect Location

Barns occupy a significant amount of space on your farm - specifically a 7x4 tile footprint. This footprint won’t change even when you upgrade the barn later, so choose your location wisely.

Important considerations for barn placement:

Before purchasing your barn, clear the desired area of debris like rocks, logs, and trees. You won’t be able to place the barn if any obstacles are in the way.

An important recent update to note: fruit tree growth is no longer blocked by grass and seed spots. This means you can now place barns closer to orchards without worrying about hampering tree growth, allowing for more efficient use of farm space.

Visiting Robin and Construction Process

Once you’ve gathered the necessary materials and decided on a location, it’s time to visit Robin at the Carpenter’s Shop in the mountains (north of town).

  1. Visit Robin during her business hours (9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday, except Wednesday when her shop is closed)
  2. Select “Construct Farm Buildings” from her dialogue options
  3. Navigate to the “Barn” option in the building menu
  4. Verify you have all the required materials (they’ll be displayed on the screen)
  5. Click the build button (hammer icon) if you have everything
  6. You’ll be taken to a view of your farm where you can position the barn
  7. Place the barn in your desired location and confirm
  8. Robin will begin construction the next day

The initial barn construction takes three days to complete. During this time, Robin will be working on your farm and unavailable for other construction projects or regular shop services. You can still find her at the construction site if you need to talk to her or give her gifts.

An interesting note: Robin no longer constructs buildings during green rain in year 1, as mentioned in the 1.6.9 update. Keep this weather condition in mind when planning your construction timeline.

Once completed, your barn will be ready to house animals. The basic barn can hold up to 4 animals, limited to cows and ostriches at this stage.

Barn Upgrades: When and Why

As your farming career progresses, you’ll want to upgrade your barn to house more animals and gain access to new animal types. There are two upgrades available: Big Barn and Deluxe Barn.

Standard Barn to Big Barn: Requirements and Benefits

The first upgrade transforms your basic Barn into a Big Barn. This upgrade costs:

Many players get confused about the upgrade process. To be clear, you don’t build a second, larger barn - you’re upgrading your existing structure. To do this, go to Robin’s “Construct Farm Buildings” menu and scroll through until you find the “Big Barn” option. When you select it, you’ll be prompted to choose which existing barn you want to upgrade.

Big Barn benefits include:

The upgrade takes two days to complete, but unlike initial construction, your animals can still use the barn during the upgrade process.

Big Barn to Deluxe Barn: The Complete Upgrade

The second and final upgrade turns your Big Barn into a Deluxe Barn, costing:

The upgrade process is the same as the first upgrade - visit Robin, select “Construct Farm Buildings,” find the “Deluxe Barn” option, and choose which Big Barn to upgrade.

Deluxe Barn benefits:

Like the first upgrade, this takes two days to complete, and your barn remains functional during construction. Robin will be visible inside the barn during these two days, and you can interact with her normally.

It’s worth noting that even though the external dimensions of the barn don’t change through upgrades, the interior space expands to accommodate the increased animal capacity.

Total Cost Breakdown and Planning

If you’re planning ahead, here’s the total investment needed to reach a Deluxe Barn from scratch:

Resource Basic Barn Big Barn Upgrade Deluxe Barn Upgrade Total
Gold 6,000 12,000 25,000 43,000
Wood 350 450 550 1,350
Stone 150 200 300 650

This substantial investment pays off through increased animal capacity and efficiency improvements like the auto-feeder. If you’re buying all resources from Robin rather than gathering them yourself, the cost increases significantly - according to the Stardew Valley Wiki, the total cost if purchasing all materials from Robin during year 1 would be 69,500g, and a staggering 175,500g if bought in year 2 or later.

One strategy many players employ is to save up for the Big Barn upgrade before winter arrives. This allows animals to become pregnant during winter when they’re indoors anyway, setting you up for natural herd growth by spring.

Animals You Can House in Barns

Different barn levels unlock access to different animals, each with their own purchase price, care requirements, and products.

Cows: Care and Products

Available in: Basic Barn and higher
Purchase price: 1,500 gold from Marnie’s Ranch
Products: Milk (every day if petted)

Cows are your entry-level barn animal and produce milk daily when happy. Milk quality improves as your friendship with the cow increases, eventually producing large milk at higher friendship levels.

Milk can be:

Cows are the most reliable daily producers among barn animals and make a good starting investment. According to a Reddit discussion, many players consider cows to be extremely profitable in the early game due to their low purchase price and daily production.

Goats: Unlocked with Big Barn

Available in: Big Barn and higher
Purchase price: 4,000 gold from Marnie’s Ranch
Products: Goat Milk (every two days if petted)

Goats produce goat milk every other day when happy. Like cow milk, the quality improves with friendship level.

Goat milk can be:

Despite producing less frequently than cows, goat milk and cheese sell for significantly more, making goats a profitable addition to your barn. One Reddit user mentioned that “Goats can be extremely profitable if you have a full barn of them. Their milk sells for about 250g I think in game”.

Sheep and Pigs: Deluxe Barn Animals

Sheep:
Available in: Deluxe Barn only
Purchase price: 8,000 gold from Marnie’s Ranch
Products: Wool (every few days when grown, requires shears)

Sheep produce wool which needs to be harvested with shears. Once sheared, it takes a few days for their wool to regrow. Friendship increases the chance of producing high-quality wool.

Wool can be:

Pigs:
Available in: Deluxe Barn only
Purchase price: 16,000 gold from Marnie’s Ranch
Products: Truffles (found outside on non-winter days)

Pigs are unique - instead of producing a product directly, they find truffles when allowed outside (except during winter). The Gatherer profession increases the chance for double truffles, and the Botanist profession ensures iridium-quality truffles.

Truffles can be:

Pigs are the most expensive barn animal but also potentially the most profitable in the right conditions. A Reddit user specifically recommended pigs alongside goats for maximum profitability.

Ostriches: The Special Barn Animal

Available in: Any barn level
Acquisition: Hatch an Ostrich Egg (obtained from Volcano Dungeon in Ginger Island)
Products: Ostrich Eggs (every 7 days)

Ostriches are a special case - they’re obtained by incubating an ostrich egg in a barn rather than purchasing from Marnie. They produce ostrich eggs weekly, which can be:

Ostriches were added in a fairly recent update and can be a unique addition to your farm once you’ve unlocked Ginger Island. Interestingly, even though they’re a large animal, they can be housed in any level of barn.

Maximizing Barn Efficiency

Simply having a barn with animals isn’t enough - to maximize profits, you’ll need to optimize your setup and routine.

Optimal Daily Routine for Barn Animals

For maximum productivity and happiness, follow this daily routine:

  1. Morning:

    • Open barn doors (if weather permits)
    • Pet each animal (increases friendship and happiness)
    • Collect products (milk cows/goats, shear sheep)
    • Check hay levels (unless you have auto-feeders)

  2. Evening:

    • Collect any additional products
    • Make sure animals are inside (they should return automatically by 5 PM)
    • Close the barn door (optional, but prevents wild animal attacks)

Additional tips:

A common confusion among players is what happens if animals are stuck outside when the barn door closes. According to the wiki, if animals are stuck outside the barn at night, the next day their mood will be “grumpy.” They’re also subject to wild animal attacks in this state.

Processing Animal Products for Maximum Profits

To maximize profits from your barn animals, process raw products into artisan goods:

Animal Raw Product Processed Product Processing Machine Value Increase
Cow Milk Cheese Cheese Press +130%
Cow Large Milk Cheese Cheese Press +130%
Goat Goat Milk Goat Cheese Cheese Press +78%
Goat Large G. Milk Goat Cheese Cheese Press +74%
Sheep Wool Cloth Loom +38%
Pig Truffle Truffle Oil Oil Maker +70%

With the Artisan profession (level 10 Farming), processed goods sell for an additional 40%, making processing even more profitable.

A tip from the community: while processing is generally more profitable, some players note that pigs with the Botanist profession produce iridium-quality truffles worth 1,250g each. These are actually worth more sold directly than processed into Truffle Oil (1,065g) unless you also have the Artisan profession.

Advanced Layout Strategies

Optimizing your barn layout can save time and increase efficiency:

  1. Multiple Barns Strategy:

    • Consider specialized barns (e.g., one for pigs, one for dairy)
    • Place barns near relevant processing equipment
    • Arrange barns to share grass areas efficiently

  2. Indoor Organization:

    • Place cheese presses and other processing machines inside the barn
    • Use the barn interior for storage related to animal products
    • Consider decorating to increase your farm’s aesthetic appeal

  3. Grass Management:

    • Plant grass starters in strategic locations
    • Place fences with grass underneath to create “grass anchors” that animals can’t eat
    • Ensure enough grazing space for all animals

The barn can also be used similar to a shed for storing chests, artisan equipment, and furniture. According to the wiki, “The animals are undisturbed by the clutter, even if their paths are blocked”. This makes barns multi-purpose buildings that can serve as both animal housing and production spaces.

Auto-Feeders and Quality of Life Improvements

The Deluxe Barn’s auto-feeder system significantly reduces daily work:

Other improvements to consider:

Before investing in animals, it’s wise to build a Silo first. As noted in the wiki entry on farm buildings, “Animals can’t graze in the winter, and prefer to stay inside in winter, so it’s a good idea to keep Hay available for them, and to build a silo before getting any animals”.

Troubleshooting Common Barn Issues

Even experienced farmers encounter issues with their barns. Here are solutions to common problems:

Animals Won’t Go Inside/Outside

If your animals won’t go inside or outside the barn:

Animals won’t go inside:

Animals won’t go outside:

A common question on Reddit is what happens if animals are trapped outside. As one Reddit user explained: “Barn Animals may be stuck outside at night if the barn doors are closed… If an animal is stuck outside the barn at night, the next day their mood will be ‘grumpy’”.

Mood and Happiness Factors

Animal mood affects product quality and production frequency. Factors that influence mood:

The animal’s mood is visible when you pet them, ranging from “very happy” to “grumpy.” Higher friendship levels (hearts) also increase product quality.

It’s worth noting that if you have multiple barns, you might want to organize animals by type to make your daily routine more efficient. For example, one Reddit user asked about having four separate barns, each dedicated to a specific animal type.

Common Bugs and Their Fixes

Some players encounter bugs with barns. Here are known issues and solutions:

  1. Animals appearing in multiple locations:

    • Save and exit the game, then reload
    • This was addressed in patch 1.6.15.1 but may still occur

  2. Animals trapped outside:

    • Make sure to close the barn door only after all animals are inside
    • If trapped, they’ll return to the barn the next morning but will be unhappy

  3. Products not spawning:

    • Ensure you’ve pet the animals
    • Check friendship levels (higher friendship = more consistent production)
    • Verify the animal is old enough to produce (babies don’t produce)

  4. Upgrade not appearing in Robin’s menu:

    • Make sure you’ve built the prerequisite barn level
    • Check that you have enough resources
    • Verify that Robin isn’t currently working on another project

If persistent bugs occur, try:

One interesting bug mentioned in the wiki: “It is possible to have 13 animals in a barn at once, if the player has a barn filled with 11 animals and an existing animal gives birth the same night as an Ostrich Egg hatches”. While not game-breaking, it’s an interesting quirk to be aware of.

Recent Updates and Changes to Barns

Stardew Valley continues to evolve with updates. Here are the most significant recent changes affecting barns:

Patch 1.6 Effects on Barns and Animals

The 1.6 update series brought several changes to barns and animals:

  1. Legendary fish in fish ponds:

    • While not barn-specific, this change affects farm buildings and animal products
    • Each legendary fish produces unique colored water and special roe

  2. Performance optimizations:

    • Improved performance with multiple animals on screen
    • Fixed crashes related to farm animals ending up in multiple locations

  3. Building placement improvements:

    • Fruit tree growth is no longer blocked by grass and seed spots
    • This makes planning barn and orchard placement more flexible

  4. Quality of life changes:

    • Items dropped in water now float for a short time (helpful when collecting animal products near water)
    • Blue grass no longer grows slower than normal grass (better for grazing animals)

For Switch players specifically, the recent patch 1.6.15.1 included several bug fixes, such as fixing a crash “when farm animals somehow end up in multiple locations”. This should improve the stability of barn operations on the Nintendo Switch.

Community Discoveries and Strategies

The Stardew Valley community continues to discover optimal strategies for barns:

  1. Animal specialization:

    • Many players now recommend dedicated pig barns for maximum profit
    • The truffles found by pigs, especially with the Botanist profession, provide exceptional returns

  2. Winter planning:

    • Community consensus suggests prioritizing barn upgrades before winter
    • This allows for the auto-feeder to handle feeding during the season when animals stay indoors

  3. Space efficiency:

    • Players have developed layouts that optimize the number of animals that can access grass simultaneously
    • These layouts often involve strategic fence and grass starter placement

An interesting note from the Reddit community: some players choose to specialize each barn for a specific type of animal. As one player asked: “I have four barns (and I’m not planning to build another one), and I’m looking to assign one animal to each barn.” The responses suggested that pigs and goats were among the most profitable options.

Barn Economics: Making the Most of Your Investment

Understanding the financial aspects of barns can help you make informed decisions about which animals to raise and how to maximize your returns.

Return on Investment Analysis

Here’s a breakdown of how quickly different animals pay for themselves:

Animal Purchase Cost Daily Value* Days to Break Even**
Cow 1,500g 230g (cheese) 7 days
Goat 4,000g 200g (cheese, every 2 days) 40 days
Sheep 8,000g 157g (cloth, every 3 days) 153 days
Pig 16,000g 665g (truffle, non-winter) 24 days

*Assuming processed products with normal quality
**Not accounting for building costs or winter (when pigs don’t produce)

Pigs may seem expensive initially, but they quickly become profitable - just be aware they don’t produce during winter. Cows offer the fastest return on animal investment, while sheep take the longest to pay for themselves.

A Reddit user noted that “Goats can be extremely profitable if you have a full barn of them” and specifically recommended pigs alongside goats. This community insight aligns with the mathematical analysis of profitability.

Optimizing for Different Goals

Depending on your goals, you might focus on different animals:

For players focused on completing the Community Center, it’s worth noting that you’ll need products from various barn animals. As one Reddit post mentioned, having a “Checklist for getting the Community Center done Year 1” is helpful, and that includes planning your barn animals and upgrades strategically.

Expert Tips for Advanced Barn Management

Once you’ve mastered the basics, these advanced techniques can take your barn operation to the next level:

Breeding Strategy

Strategic breeding can save you money on purchasing new animals:

  1. Ensure you have the Big Barn or higher (required for animal pregnancy)
  2. Leave space in your barn (animals won’t get pregnant if the barn is full)
  3. Pet animals daily to increase friendship (higher friendship = higher pregnancy chance)
  4. Be patient - pregnancy is random but happens regularly with high friendship
  5. Baby animals take 3 days to grow up before they can produce

For pigs specifically, breeding your own can save substantial money compared to buying from Marnie.

Worth noting: while upgrades like the Big Barn enable animal pregnancy, you may want to temporarily halt breeding during winter if you’re maximizing pig profits, as newborn pigs won’t produce truffles until spring anyway.

Profession Choices for Barn Owners

Your skill tree choices significantly impact barn profitability:

For maximum pig profits, the Gatherer → Botanist → Artisan combination is unbeatable.

It’s worth noting that recent updates have enhanced some of these professions. For example, “With the Gatherer skill, the chance to double harvested forage now applies when using an iridium scythe too”. This can indirectly benefit barn management by making grass collection more efficient.

Seasonal Considerations

Different seasons affect barn animals differently:

Plan your animal purchases accordingly - buying pigs right before winter isn’t ideal since they won’t produce until spring.

A strategy many players adopt is to build and upgrade barns during winter when they have more time, as noted in a Reddit discussion about barn upgrades and Community Center planning.

Conclusion: Building Your Barn Empire

Barns are one of the most rewarding aspects of Stardew Valley, offering a satisfying progression from a simple structure with a few cows to a complex operation with diverse animals and significant profits. Whether you’re playing for relaxation, profit maximization, or completing the Community Center, barns are an essential part of your farming journey.

Action Steps Recap

  1. Build your first barn when you have 6,000g, 350 wood, and 150 stone
  2. Start with cows for reliable daily income
  3. Upgrade to a Big Barn when ready to add goats and enable breeding
  4. Process animal products into artisan goods for maximum profit
  5. Reach the Deluxe Barn to unlock pigs and auto-feeders
  6. Choose professions that complement your animal focus
  7. Implement efficient layouts and routines to maximize happiness and productivity

Further Resources

Click to expand Barn-related patch history

Date Change Note Impact on Barns
Feb 26, 2025 Patch 1.6.15.1 - Fixed crash when farm animals somehow end up in multiple locations Prevents game crashes related to barn animals
Feb 14, 2025 Patch 1.6.15.1 - Performance optimizations Improved performance with multiple animals
Dec 10, 2024 Patch 1.6.9 - Blue grass no longer grows slower than normal grass Better grazing for barn animals
Dec 10, 2024 Patch 1.6.9 - Fruit tree growth is no longer blocked by grass and seed spots More flexible barn and orchard placement
Dec 10, 2024 Patch 1.6.9 - If you lost an item that can’t be found again, a new friend appears in the secret woods Helps recover lost barn-related items (e.g., rare milk)
Dec 10, 2024 Patch 1.6.9 - You can now place beds and sleep inside any constructed buildings Can now sleep in barns if desired
Dec 10, 2024 Patch 1.6.9 - Items dropped in water now float for a short time Helps when collecting animal products near water
Mar 19, 2024 Patch 1.6 - Added ostriches as potential barn animals New animal type available for barns
Mar 19, 2024 Patch 1.6 - Added several new farm types with different building placements New farm layouts change optimal barn placement
Nov 28, 2023 Patch 1.5.6 - Fixed animals sometimes getting stuck when trying to eat grass Improved animal behavior around barns