Core Keeper, the farming and survival RPG, is cracking through early access with abandon! Every few months, there is a massive patch that makes the game so much fun to come back to. The Paws & Claws update has brought some life to the Core, with plenty of different life forms for you to care for… And hunt! Cattle is an important new mechanic and resource loop that you should use if you want to maximize your stays in the mines. This guide will explain how to feed cattle, get them to produce, and even how you can bring cows around to your home base.
Feeding Cattle in Core Keeper
To feed your cattle in Core Keeper, all you need to do is hold their favorite food in your hand. Heart Berries are a great food to feed cows, since they’re found in abundance. Equipping the food will cause the animal to approach you and, as long as you get close enough to them, they will eat the food. Currently, Moolin and Brambucks are willing to eat any farmable plant, and Strolly Polies will eat any critter that isn’t a glowbug.
Unfortunately, you do have to hold your hand out and wait for the animal to eat the food. Manually feeding a group of cows takes a bit of time, and you will need to do it fairly often if you want to keep them producing. Thankfully, the reward for doing so is nice! The Moolin gets you Meadow Milk, the Brambuck gets you Wool, and the Strolly Polly gets you Strolly Poly plate. These are all useful enough for crafting – or just drinking!
Alternatively, you can simply slay the animal and get their drop. All three of the current variants of cattle drop Marbled Meat. This is a rather potent food item, especially when cooked. It might be a good idea to get a handful of cattle for their farmed items… And then, maybe cull a handful.
How To Feed Cattle Using the Feeding Tray
If you are tired of feeding your cattle manually, there is already a more efficient solution available! You will just need to make a Feeding Tray, a station that will attract your animals when they are hungry and cause them to feed themselves. All you need is 10 Wood and 5 Copper Bars, as well as a Basic Workstation, to make this miraculous device.
The station contains three slots that you can fill with foodstuffs. A single Feeding Tray can be enough for all three different variations of Cattle currently in the game: Two slots for random food like Heart Berries, and one for the critters of your Strolly Poly Population. However, additional feeding trays may be required as your farm’s population balloons… And, when they inevitably add more friends for you to get! Consider making additional trays if you want your farm to provide exceptional numbers of resources.
How To Bring Cattle To Your Base
As of the Paws & Claws patch, herding cattle to your home is quite tedious in Core Keeper. You will need to show the animal their favored foodstuff to attract their attention. Then, you will need to slowly guide them from their home to your farm, enclosing it with a fence. As a reminder, the cow-like Moolin and Brambuck from the Meadow region will eat any farmable crop, while the Strolly Poly in the Ruins and Desert will only eat critters that are not glowbugs.
Right now, this is the only way to consistently get cattle to your home, which is kind of a drag. Animals are susceptible to attacks from mobs, making them a liability to move correctly. They’re certainly not immune to your attacks, either! When moving, we suggest bringing them to a spot, checking ahead to clear enemies, and then slowly corralling them a bit farther.
