Stardew Valley Animal Products Guide — Artisan vs Raw Income

All Animal Products — Base vs Artisan Sell Prices

Best Animals for Daily Gold Income

Pigs are the clear profit leader when outdoors. Each Pig produces one Truffle per day it spends outside (during spring, summer, and fall — not winter). Truffles converted to Truffle Oil in an Oil Maker yield 1,491g each with the Artisan profession. A barn of 12 Pigs producing daily truffles generates up to 17,892g per day at peak — making Pigs the single highest-income animal in the game.

The catch with Pigs is weather and season dependence. Pigs cannot forage truffles in rain or winter. During winter you need an alternative income source, and rainy days entirely cancel pig production. Pigs also require a Deluxe Barn and cost 16,000g each, making the initial investment significant.

Goats are the most balanced investment. Each Goat produces Goat Milk every 2 days (Large Goat Milk at 5-heart friendship), which converts to 1,120g Goat Cheese with Artisan. One Goat at max happiness nets roughly 560g per day — lower than Pigs but season-independent and weather-proof.

Sheep are strong for players who prefer the Artisan cloth path. Each Sheep produces Wool every 3 days normally, or every 2 days with the Shepherd profession. Cloth sells for 658g with Artisan. Combine multiple Sheep with the Shepherd profession (faster wool) and Artisan (cloth bonus) for a reliable, low-maintenance income stream.

Animal Profit Comparison — Gold Per Day

Verdict: Pigs with Artisan produce the highest daily gold of any animal when active. Goats offer the best all-season balance. Chickens have the lowest profit but lowest cost per head — useful for Mayonnaise production early in the game when you cannot afford larger barns.

How the Artisan Profession Affects Animal Income

The Artisan profession (Farming Level 10, requires Tiller at Level 5) adds 40% to the sell price of all artisan goods, including processed animal products. This applies to Mayonnaise, Cheese (all types), Cloth, Truffle Oil, and Bee House honey. It does NOT apply to raw animal products like eggs, milk, or wool — only their processed forms.

With Artisan, the income gap between raw and processed products widens dramatically. Raw Goat Milk sells for 225g; Goat Cheese sells for 560g with Artisan — 2.5× more. Truffle Oil goes from 1,065g base to 1,491g with Artisan, a 40% increase. At scale (12 Pigs × 1,491g daily), the Artisan profession adds over 5,000g in daily income from Pigs alone.

The Rancher profession (the alternative Level 5 pick to Tiller) adds 20% to raw animal products only. If you have Rancher and are selling Cheese or Truffle Oil, Rancher does NOT apply. Artisan always beats Rancher for processed product income. Only take Rancher if you plan to sell raw products (e.g., for early game cash flow when you have no processing machines).

Animal Happiness and Heart System

• Each animal has a hidden friendship score (0–1,000) that displays as a heart count (0–5 hearts) when you hover over it.
• Higher friendship unlocks Large product variants: Large Egg, Large Milk, Large Goat Milk. Large products process into higher-value artisan goods (Large Cheese = 400g base vs 200g for regular Cheese).
• Pet each animal daily by walking into them — this gives +15 friendship points per day.
• Leave barn/coop doors open on sunny days (non-winter, non-rainy) to let animals graze outside — this gives +8 happiness per hour outside.
• Having a heater in the barn or coop during winter prevents friendship decay, even though animals cannot go outside.
• Using a silo with adequate hay supply prevents animals from going hungry and losing friendship. Build silos before your first winter.