How to Feed Chickens in Stardew Valley (2026 Guide)

To feed chickens in Stardew Valley, give each bird access to one piece of Hay on the Coop's feeding bench, or open the animal door on a sunny day so the chickens can eat accessible grass outside. A basic Coop and a Big Coop do not move Hay onto the bench automatically: you have to take it from the hopper and place it there. Only the Deluxe Coop has an autofeed system that pulls Hay from a Silo. This distinction is the key to keeping a flock fed without losing track of eggs.

What you need before feeding chickens

• A Coop: Robin builds the basic Coop for 4,000g, 300 Wood, and 100 Stone. It holds up to four coop animals and takes three days to construct. The Meadowlands Farm starts with a Coop and two chickens.
• Chickens: Buy each chicken from Marnie's Ranch for 800g after you have a suitable Coop. A newly purchased chicken needs three nights of regular feeding to mature.
• Hay or grass: Hay is the reliable indoor food. A Silo is optional, but it stores grass cut with a Scythe and makes that Hay available at the Coop hopper.

A Silo costs 100g, 100 Stone, 10 Clay, and 5 Copper Bars, and takes two days to build. Each Silo stores up to 240 Hay. If you do not have one, you can buy Hay from Marnie for 50g per piece and place it on the feeding bench. See the Stardew Valley Wiki's Silo guide for storage details.

How to feed chickens in Stardew Valley

1. Build a Coop and prepare a food source

   Order the Coop from Robin at the Carpenter's Shop in the Mountain area. It costs 4,000g, 300 Wood, and 100 Stone, and construction takes three days. If you can, build a Silo before you buy animals. With a Silo on the farm, cutting grass with your Scythe has a chance to add Hay directly to it. Cutting with a sword does not collect Hay. You can also buy Hay from Marnie whenever her shop is open. A Coop is required before you can purchase a chicken from her.

2. Buy chickens from Marnie's Ranch

   Choose Purchase Animals, select Chicken, and assign the bird to your Coop. Each one costs 800g. A basic Coop holds four animals, so plan an upgrade if you want a larger flock. Keep feeding a new chicken as it grows: chickens mature after three nights of eating, and an adult chicken that is fed can lay an egg each day. For current animal and Coop details, see the Chicken and Coop pages.

3. Take Hay from the hopper and fill the feeding bench

   Go inside the Coop. Interact with the Hay Hopper to withdraw Hay from your Silo; it dispenses only as much as the building can use, up to the empty spaces on the feeding bench. If your Hay is in your inventory, you can use that instead. Select the Hay, then place it on the long feeding bench, with one piece available for each chicken that needs indoor food. The chickens eat on their own; you do not need to hand-feed them individually.

   The hopper is a convenient way to move Hay between the Silo and your inventory. It does not automatically fill the bench in a basic or Big Coop. A Deluxe Coop is the only Coop upgrade with an autofeed system; it fills the bench from your Silo automatically. A Big Coop adds an incubator and more capacity, but not automatic feeding. The Hay Hopper guide explains the difference.

4. Let chickens graze when the weather is clear

   On a sunny day, open the small animal door on the Coop. Chickens can leave at the start of the day and eat grass they can reach on the farm, which counts as food for that day and saves your Hay. They will not go out in rainy weather or during Winter, so make sure indoor food is on the bench on those days. Grass still survives Winter in the current game, but it does not spread then and cutting it yields less Hay; this changed in the 1.6 update. Check the official 1.6 update notes for that seasonal change.

   Chickens usually start returning to the Coop around 5 p.m. Keep their path clear and close the door after they have returned if you want the small happiness benefit added in 1.6. Do not shut the door while a chicken is still outside, since an animal left out overnight can become grumpy and may be exposed to a wild-animal attack.

Keep the flock fed through every season

When chickens cannot graze, the daily requirement is one Hay per chicken. For example, four chickens in a basic Coop need up to four Hay on an indoor day. A full Silo holds 240 pieces, but check its stored amount before Winter and restock if the flock will rely on Hay for several weeks. You can inspect the Silo to see how much is left. If it runs low, buy Hay from Marnie or cut more grass while it is growing.

Feeding is only one part of animal care. Pet each chicken daily to build friendship, and let it graze when grass is available. Friendship and happiness affect the chance of producing a Large Egg; a Large Egg is a separate item from a gold-quality regular Egg. An unfed chicken will not die, but it becomes unhappy and may stop laying that day. Well-cared-for, mature chickens produce eggs reliably, so keeping the bench stocked matters most in bad weather and Winter.

Common chicken-feeding problems

The feeding bench is empty

In a basic or Big Coop, interact with the hopper to withdraw Hay, then place it on the bench yourself. Check the Silo's stored amount; a hopper cannot dispense Hay when the Silo is empty. If you have a Deluxe Coop, the autofeeder also needs Hay in a Silo.

Chickens stay inside with the door open

Animals leave only when the weather allows it. Rain keeps chickens inside, and they remain indoors throughout Winter. On a sunny day, check that the small door is open and that grass is reachable outside. Do not confuse an open door with automatic feeding: chickens still need Hay when they cannot graze.

A new chicken has not laid an egg yet

Young chickens need three nights of feeding to mature. Once an adult is fed, it can produce an egg each day. If an adult stops laying, check the feeding bench, weather, and grass access first, then interact with the chicken to review its status.

Quick daily checklist

• On a sunny day, open the Coop door if you want the flock to graze.
• On rainy or Winter days, put one Hay per chicken on the feeding bench unless you have a Deluxe Coop autofeeder.
• Check the Silo before the Hay runs out, and pet each chicken when you pass through the Coop.
• Let the chickens return before closing the door at night.