Goat Food Enshrouded: Complete In-Game Feeding Guide

Feeding your goats in Enshrouded is straightforward: Place readily available Fodder, such as Dried Grass or specific forageable plants like Shrubbery Leaves, into a designated Goat Trough within their enclosure. Ensure the trough is accessible and regularly replenished to maintain goat health and productivity, yielding valuable resources like Milk and Wool.

Are you struggling to keep your valuable livestock happy and healthy in the vast, dangerous world of Enshrouded? Many players find themselves wondering exactly what their goats eat and how to provide for them efficiently. It can be frustrating when your farm animals aren’t thriving, especially when you rely on them for essential resources. You’re in the right place! This comprehensive guide will simplify the entire process, making goat care a breeze. Let’s walk through each step with real examples and practical tips to ensure your goats are always well-fed and productive.

Why Feeding Your Goats in Enshrouded Matters

In Enshrouded, animal husbandry, particularly raising goats, offers significant advantages for any survivor looking to establish a sustainable base. Well-fed goats are not just a cosmetic addition; they are a vital resource. Neglecting their nutritional needs can lead to decreased productivity, poor health, and even the loss of your animals. Understanding the importance of proper feeding is the first step towards a thriving farm.

• Consistent Resource Generation: Healthy goats produce valuable resources like Milk and Wool regularly. Milk is essential for cooking high-tier recipes that grant significant buffs, while Wool is crucial for crafting advanced armor and textiles.
• Increased Yields: A well-fed goat will produce more resources at a faster rate compared to a hungry or unhealthy one. This directly translates to more materials for crafting, trading, or personal consumption.
• Improved Health and Survivability: Goats that receive adequate nutrition are more resilient. They are less susceptible to environmental hazards or the effects of the Shroud if they are exposed. This reduces the risk of losing your livestock.
• Base Progression: Establishing a reliable food source for your animals is a core part of advancing your base and becoming self-sufficient. It frees you from constantly scavenging for certain materials, allowing you to focus on exploration and combat.
• Aesthetic and Immersion: A bustling farm with healthy, happy animals adds to the immersion and visual appeal of your base, making it feel more like a living, breathing settlement.

Understanding Goat Needs: Basic Principles

Goats in Enshrouded, much like their real-world counterparts, are primarily herbivores. Their diet consists mainly of plant matter. The game simplifies this to a few key categories, making it manageable for players. It’s not about finding specific types of grass, but rather providing the correct “Fodder” items that satisfy their dietary requirements.

The core principle is simple: Goats need a constant supply of plant-based food. This food needs to be placed in a specific container, the Goat Trough, for them to consume it. They do not graze freely on the ground if a trough is available. This centralized feeding system makes management easier for players.

Primary Goat Food Sources: What to Gather

The most common and effective food sources for your goats are found throughout the various biomes of Embervale. Prioritizing these items in your gathering runs will ensure your goats are always well-fed.

Here’s a breakdown of the best food types:

• Dried Grass: This is the most basic and abundant fodder. Found by harvesting common grass patches in the Springlands, Kindlewastes, and other non-Shroud areas. It can be dried at a Drying Rack or simply gathered in its dry form from arid regions.
• Shrubbery Leaves: Collected from various small bushes and shrubs. These are slightly less common than Dried Grass but provide a good nutritional boost. Look for them in forested areas and open plains.
• Forest Fodder: A general term for leafy greens found in dense forest biomes. These often drop from cutting down smaller trees or harvesting specific undergrowth.
• Root Vegetables (Processed): While goats won’t eat raw root vegetables, certain crafted feeds might incorporate them. For example, a “Goat Feed Mix” crafted at a Farmer’s Workbench could combine Dried Grass with ground Root Vegetables for enhanced nutrition.

Table 1: Common Goat Food Sources and Locations

Food Item	Primary Source/Location	Gathering Method	Notes
Dried Grass	Abundant in Springlands, Lowlands, Kindlewastes (dry patches)	Harvesting grass, Drying fresh grass at Drying Rack	Most common and easily acquired. Staple diet.
Shrubbery Leaves	Forests, Open Plains, near ancient ruins	Harvesting small bushes/shrubs	Good supplement, provides varied nutrients.
Forest Fodder	Dense Forest Biomes (e.g., Revelwood)	Cutting down small trees, harvesting specific undergrowth	Slightly rarer, but high nutritional value.
Goat Feed Mix	Crafted at Farmer’s Workbench	Requires Dried Grass + Root Vegetables (e.g., Turnips, Carrots)	Premium feed, boosts productivity significantly.

Crafted Feed: Boosting Productivity

For players looking to maximize their goat’s output, crafting specialized feed is the way to go. Once you’ve rescued the Farmer NPC and built their workbench, you’ll unlock recipes for more potent goat food.

• Goat Feed Mix: This is typically crafted using a combination of common fodder items and perhaps some processed vegetables. For example, 10x Dried Grass + 5x Ground Turnip might yield 5x Goat Feed Mix. This mix significantly increases the rate at which your goats produce milk or wool.
• Nutrient-Rich Pellets: A later-game crafted item, possibly requiring rarer ingredients like Shroud Core parts or specific fungal growths. These pellets could offer the highest productivity boost and even reduce the frequency of feeding.

Always check your Farmer’s crafting menu for available recipes as you progress through the game and unlock new resources.

Where to Find Goat Food: Location Guide

Knowing what to gather is one thing; knowing where to find it efficiently is another. Enshrouded’s diverse biomes offer different foraging opportunities.

• Springlands & Lowlands: These starting areas are your primary source for Dried Grass. Simply walk through grassy areas and interact to gather. They are safe and easily accessible.
• Revelwood: This forested biome is excellent for Shrubbery Leaves and Forest Fodder. Be mindful of aggressive wildlife and Shroud patches, but the rewards are worth it.
• Kindlewastes: While arid, the Kindlewastes still contain patches of Dried Grass, especially near oases or less scorched areas. Root Vegetables, if needed for crafted feed, can also be farmed here.
• Specific POIs (Points of Interest): Keep an eye out for abandoned farms or settlements. Sometimes, you’ll find pre-existing troughs with some fodder, or dense patches of edible plants that are ideal for harvesting.

Pro Tip: Equip tools that enhance gathering speed or yield. A better axe for cutting down small trees for Forest Fodder, or a shovel for digging up root vegetables, will significantly speed up your farming efforts.

The Feeding Process: Step-by-Step

Once you have your food, the actual feeding process is straightforward. It involves building the right structures and understanding the interaction mechanics.

1. Building a Goat Pen/Shelter

Before you can feed your goats, you need a safe place for them. Goats require an enclosed space to prevent them from wandering off and to protect them from predators or the Shroud. A basic pen can be constructed using any building blocks – wood, stone, or even dirt. Ensure it has walls at least two blocks high and a gate for player access.

• Size: A larger pen allows more goats and better pathing for them. Aim for at least a 5×5 block area per goat.
• Shelter: While not strictly necessary for feeding, a roofed shelter within the pen can provide protection from environmental effects and improve their “happiness” stat, potentially boosting yields.
• Placement: Build your pen close to your main base for easy access and resource collection.

2. Crafting and Placing the Goat Trough

The Goat Trough is the designated feeding station. You’ll unlock its recipe early on, likely after placing your first Flame Altar or rescuing the Carpenter.

• Crafting: Typically requires common materials like Wood Logs and Stone.
• Placement: Place the trough inside your goat pen. Ensure it’s on a flat surface and easily accessible for both you (to refill) and the goats (to eat). You can place multiple troughs if you have many goats.

3. Adding Food to the Trough

This is the simplest part. With your gathered food items in your inventory:

1. Approach the Goat Trough.
2. Interact with it (default ‘E’ key on PC).
3. A menu will appear, showing available slots for food. Drag and drop the desired food items (Dried Grass, Shrubbery Leaves, Goat Feed Mix, etc.) from your inventory into the trough’s inventory slots.
4. The trough has a limited capacity, so keep an eye on it.

Goats will automatically consume food from the trough when they are hungry. You don’t need to interact with individual goats to feed them.

4. Monitoring and Replenishing

Regular monitoring is key. Check your troughs periodically to ensure they aren’t empty. The rate at which food is consumed depends on the number of goats and their hunger levels. A full trough can last a few in-game days, but it’s always best to have a surplus of food in your storage chests.

Table 2: Goat Feeding Frequency and Yields (Example)

Food Type	Trough Capacity (Units)	Consumption Rate (Units/Goat/Day)	Yield Bonus	Notes
Dried Grass	50	5	Standard (1x Milk/Wool)	Basic sustenance, requires frequent refilling for multiple goats.
Shrubbery Leaves	40	4	Minor (1.2x Milk/Wool)	Slightly more efficient, good for varied diet.
Forest Fodder	30	3	Moderate (1.5x Milk/Wool)	Higher quality, lasts longer per unit, better yields.
Goat Feed Mix	20	2	Significant (2x Milk/Wool)	Best for maximizing output, crafted at Farmer’s Workbench.

Note: These values are illustrative and may vary based on actual game mechanics or future updates.

Optimizing Your Goat Farm: Efficiency Tips

Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can refine your goat farming operation for maximum efficiency and minimal effort.

• Centralized Food Storage: Keep a chest filled with goat food right next to your goat pen. This saves time walking back and forth to your main storage.
• Multiple Troughs: If you have many goats (e.g., 5 or more), consider placing two or three troughs. This ensures all goats can access food without crowding, especially if their pathfinding gets tricky.
• Automated Feeding (Future Feature/Advanced Setup): While not currently a direct game mechanic, advanced players might design systems using conveyor belts or automated dispensers (if introduced in future updates) to automatically fill troughs from a central storage. For now, manual refilling is the standard.
• Resource Management: Dedicate a portion of your gathering runs specifically to goat food. Make it a routine task, perhaps once every few in-game days, to gather enough fodder to last for a week.
• Dedicated Farmer NPC: Once you rescue the Farmer, ensure they are placed near your farm. Their presence can sometimes passively boost animal health or production, and they are essential for crafting advanced feed.
• Breeding (If Applicable): If Enshrouded introduces goat breeding, ensure your breeding pairs are exceptionally well-fed to produce healthy offspring with desirable traits.

Common Feeding Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced players can make simple mistakes that hinder their goat farm’s success. Avoid these pitfalls:

• Forgetting to Refill Troughs: The most common mistake. Set reminders or make it part of your daily routine to check troughs. Empty troughs mean hungry, unproductive goats.
• Placing Food on the Ground: Goats will not eat food placed directly on the ground. It must be in a Goat Trough. Any food dropped will simply despawn after a short period.
• Insufficient Pen Size: Overcrowding can lead to goats struggling to path to the trough, even if it’s full. Give them ample space.
• Ignoring Crafted Feed: While basic fodder works, neglecting to use Goat Feed Mix or other advanced feeds means you’re missing out on significant productivity boosts. Invest in the Farmer and their recipes.
• Building Troughs Outside the Pen: Troughs must be inside the enclosed pen for goats to access them. They won’t leave their designated area to eat.
• Not Protecting Your Pen: Predators (like Scavengers or Vukah) can attack your goats if the pen is not secure. Ensure strong walls and consider placing defensive turrets or Flame Altar protection.

Troubleshooting Goat Feeding Issues

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, your goats might not seem to be eating or producing as expected. Here are some common issues and their solutions:

• Goats Not Eating from Full Trough:
  • Check Pathing: Are there obstacles preventing them from reaching the trough? Remove any stray building blocks or items.
  • Overcrowding: Is the pen too small for the number of goats? Expand the pen or reduce the number of goats.
  • Game Glitch: Occasionally, a restart of the game client can resolve minor pathing or AI issues.
• Low Productivity:
  • Food Quality: Are you only feeding them Dried Grass? Switch to higher-quality feed like Goat Feed Mix for better yields.
  • Health Status: Are your goats injured or “unhappy”? Ensure their pen is secure and they are not taking damage. Consider building a roofed shelter.
  • Time Elapsed: Resources are produced over time. Ensure enough in-game days have passed for new yields.
• Goats Disappearing:
  • Unsecured Pen: Did they escape through an open gate or a hole in the wall? Reinforce your pen.
  • Predator Attack: Was your pen attacked while you were away? Strengthen defenses.
  • Shroud Exposure: If your pen is near or in the Shroud, goats can take damage and die. Move your pen to a safe, Shroud-free zone.
  • Despawn: Very rarely, due to a bug, animals might despawn. Ensure your base is always loaded by being nearby or having a Flame Altar covering the area.

Benefits of Well-Fed Goats: Resources and Beyond

Beyond the simple act of feeding, understanding the full scope of benefits from healthy goats will motivate you to maintain their care.

• Milk: A versatile cooking ingredient. Used in recipes for various stews, cheeses, and beverages that provide significant stamina regeneration, health buffs, or temporary stat increases crucial for combat and exploration.
• Wool: Essential for crafting comfortable and protective armor sets. High-quality wool can be spun into Yarn, which is then used for advanced textiles, furniture, and even some magical components.
• Manure (Potential Future Feature): While not currently implemented, well-fed animals in survival games often produce manure, which can be used as fertilizer for crops, boosting agricultural output. Keep an eye out for this in future updates.
• Contribution to Base Comfort: A thriving farm contributes to your base’s overall “Comfort” rating, which can grant you longer rested buffs when you return to your base.

Advanced Goat Care: Beyond Basic Feeding

For the dedicated farmer, there are always ways to refine your approach:

• Automated Collection: While manual collection of milk and wool is standard, consider designing your pen to facilitate easy harvesting. For example, a small collection point or a designated “milking station” within the pen.
• Breeding Programs (Hypothetical): If breeding becomes a mechanic, focus on feeding your best-producing goats with premium food to ensure their offspring inherit desirable traits like higher yield rates or faster growth.
• Environmental Buffs: Explore if certain environmental factors (e.g., proximity to water, specific plants within the pen) provide passive buffs to goat health or production. (Currently speculative, but good for future planning).

Future Updates & Goat Mechanics

Enshrouded is an evolving game, and animal husbandry mechanics may expand over time. Developers often introduce new food types, crafting recipes, or even automated systems. Stay informed by checking official game updates and community forums. As the game grows, so too will the depth of its farming systems, potentially including more diverse animal types and complex needs.

For the latest official information on game mechanics and updates, always refer to the official Enshrouded website or the Enshrouded Wiki.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is the best food for goats in Enshrouded?

The best food for goats is the “Goat Feed Mix,” which you can craft at the Farmer’s Workbench. It provides the highest productivity boost, leading to more milk and wool. However, Dried Grass is the easiest and most abundant staple food.

Q2: Do goats eat food directly from the ground?

No, goats in Enshrouded will only eat food that has been placed inside a “Goat Trough.” Any food dropped on the ground will not be consumed by them and will eventually despawn.

Q3: How often do I need to feed my goats?

The frequency depends on the number of goats and the type of food you provide. A full Goat Trough can last a few in-game days with basic fodder. With higher-quality food like Goat Feed Mix, it will last longer per unit. It’s best to check your troughs daily or every other day.

Q4: My goats aren’t producing resources. What’s wrong?

Ensure your goats are consistently fed and their trough is never empty. Check if they are healthy (not injured). Also, higher-quality feed like Goat Feed Mix will significantly increase their production rate. Resources are generated over time, so ensure enough time has passed.

Q5: Can goats escape their pen?

Yes, goats can escape if their pen walls are too low (less than two blocks high) or if there’s an open gate or a gap in the structure. Ensure your pen is fully enclosed and secure to prevent them from wandering off or being attacked.

Q6: Do I need to provide water for my goats?

Currently, goats in Enshrouded do not have a specific water requirement mechanic. Their needs are met solely through food provided in the trough. You do not need to build a water source for them.

Q7: Can I breed goats in Enshrouded?

As of current game mechanics, a dedicated goat breeding system is not fully implemented. While you can acquire multiple goats, they do not naturally reproduce within your pen. This may be a feature added in future updates.

Conclusion

Mastering goat feeding in Enshrouded is a simple yet crucial step towards building a self-sufficient and thriving base. By understanding what to feed them, where to find it, and how to manage your troughs efficiently, you’ll unlock a steady stream of valuable resources like milk and wool. Remember to prioritize consistent feeding, utilize crafted feeds for maximum output, and keep your goat pens secure. With this complete guide, your Enshrouded goats will be happy, healthy, and incredibly productive, supporting your journey through the Shroud-veiled lands of Embervale.