Chickens
The perfect cheap starter animal
Chickens are the ideal first animal in The Ranchers — cheap, low-maintenance, and quick to pay you back in a steady stream of eggs.
Chickens are the go-to first animal for good reason: they’re cheap, easy to look after, and quick to start earning. Housed in a coop, they lay eggs that provide steady early income while you focus your attention on crops, building and exploring.
Note: the exact animal roster is still being confirmed for Early Access. We mark species as expected until they’re locked in, and we’ll refine details as the live build reveals them.
Why start with chickens?
Their low cost and low effort make poultry the safest early investment. A small coop ticks over quietly in the background, turning a tiny bit of daily care into reliable cash. That early income is exactly what funds your first tool upgrades — which then speed up everything else.
Care basics
Keep your chickens fed and watered to keep the eggs coming. Upgrade your coop to raise capacity and unlock conveniences. As elsewhere, automation (auto-feeders) eventually removes the daily chore as you scale.
Tips
- Great as your very first animal — start here before pricier livestock.
- Process eggs into cooked dishes for more value than selling raw.
- Expand the coop before adding lots of birds.
Not sure what to raise? Try the what animal should you raise quiz.