Most Effective Method Of Herding Beefalo

[Cynical Cynicist]

So I've been having trouble keeping beefalo within the savannah biome I'm residing in. There are 3 herds, one of which keeps wandering off into the distance, coming dangerously close to swamps.

 

Even after blowing a beefalo horn at dusk and attracting the entire herd back, they keep migrating in the same direction.

 

I've considered making a pen, but wouldn't they navigate their way out anyway? I really don't want to make or worry about a hay door...

 

Any suggestions or experiences you could share?

[TeoSS69]

Well pathfining is broken for now so they won't get out of the pen with a complex way out". Get 5 to follow you with the horn and pen them in. Leave them there for a while and eventually they'll settle there.

Kill a lot of the others so the 5 of yours can make babies again.
 

[Cynical Cynicist]

Well pathfining is broken for now so they won't get out of the pen with a complex way out". Get 5 to follow you with the horn and pen them in. Leave them there for a while and eventually they'll settle there.

Kill a lot of the others so the 5 of yours can make babies again.

 

Hmmm...I remember there being another beefalo herd on the opposite side of the map - is it possible they are being attracted to each other somehow? If so, do I need to kill those beefalo just in case?

[TeoSS69]

Hmmm...I remember there being another beefalo herd on the opposite side of the map - is it possible they are being attracted to each other somehow? If so, do I need to kill those beefalo just in case?

Yes Beefaloes form herds and they have this invisible spot they tend to hang around to, like Pengulls have their ice patch. If some are separated from the herd and can't get to the spot after a while, they'll form a new one with themselves as members and the place it's formed in will be their spot (in this case the pen). I suggested you kill the other ones so you'll get more than 5 Beefalo in your pen.

[xsunpure]

I used a horn to have my herd follow me, then I penned them in. I don't have the entrance blocked, but they cannot/won't get out unless they're chasing/aggroing me. Here's an incredibly crude diagram as to how I set up the pen - however since I don't know how to properly explain without it sounding confusing, this will have to do.

 

                                                                                                        

|                                                    |

|                    __                            |

| ___________   \ ____________|

                        \   \

[Cynical Cynicist]

Yes Beefaloes form herds and they have this invisible spot they tend to hang around to, like Pengulls have their ice patch. If some are separated from the herd and can't get to the spot after a while, they'll form a new one with themselves as members and the place it's formed in will be their spot (in this case the pen). I suggested you kill the other ones so you'll get more than 5 Beefalo in your pen.

 

 

OK, so leave only 2-3 of the Beefalo in MY herd alive, then let them repopulate inside the pen?

 

And I'll definitely use the diagram as reference xsunpure, I suspect the small bend inside just makes it more difficult for them to exit?

 

Oh and I see many people use hay walls, but would anyone recommend stone instead? I want to keep flammable objects out in the open to a minimum.

[TeoSS69]

OK, so leave only 2-3 of the Beefalo in MY herd alive, then let them repopulate inside the pen?

 

And I'll definitely use the diagram as reference xsunpure, I suspect the small bend inside just makes it more difficult for them to exit?

 

Oh and I see many people use hay walls, but would anyone recommend stone instead? I want to keep flammable objects out in the open to a minimum.

 

Yep, if other Beefalo die they'll repopulate.

And if you're scared of using hay walls then go with stone. Personally i use both.

 

[Cynical Cynicist]

 

Yep, if other Beefalo die they'll repopulate.

And if you're scared of using hay walls then go with stone. Personally i use both.

 

Yes, I saw your design with the hay wall as an inner layer.

 

Unfortunately after the "incident," I scattered lightning rods in a grid pattern across my base so it's virtually impossible for there not to be at least one on my screen. I also feel extremely uncomfortable with trees, hay walls, grass and twig farms. Beefalo though can burn for eternity.

[the truthseeker]

OK, so leave only 2-3 of the Beefalo in MY herd alive, then let them repopulate inside the pen?

 

And I'll definitely use the diagram as reference xsunpure, I suspect the small bend inside just makes it more difficult for them to exit?

 

Oh and I see many people use hay walls, but would anyone recommend stone instead? I want to keep flammable objects out in the open to a minimum.

 

 I'd recommend at least 5 and stone walls just in case Fire Hounds die nearby. 

[Anelyn]

Quick question to prevent a genocide: 

 

If I bring a pack of beefalos to another pack which is in mating season, will the heated ones attack the normal ones?

 

PS: awesome, never thought the horn can be used to herd the cows haha!

[TeoSS69]

will the heated ones attack the normal ones?

 

Nope.

[Anelyn]

Awesum, time to move the beefs away from my base at winter and bring em back in summer (just in case a deerclops decides to spawn near them)

[the truthseeker]

Awesum, time to move the beefs away from my base at winter and bring em back in summer (just in case a deerclops decides to spawn near them)

*cries* I blocked that memory out; "thanks" for reminding me! 

[Anelyn]

Well I had 3 huge beefalo herds around day 600 all in same biome but somewhat not close together. 

 

1st was almost decimated by me deciding to make them kill the hounds during summer - they were in mating season - and the result was 3/4 of herd burnt - yay for more meat?

2nd one became completely exctinct in the upcoming winter's end, when the deerclops noises were heard, and I moved in middle of them with my trusty beefalo hat saying to myself that 12 beefalos should wipe the floor with the one eyed guy. Wrong, he 2 shot the whole herd.

 

Being left with 2 beefs and a decent size herd (3rd one) i decided to do everything in my power to protect them from harm (it happens that they are the only beefalos I have left on map). Now I have 1 herd of ~10 beefs and one of ~6, moved the bigger one closer to my camp - but not too close, and other one farther away on peninsula so no random spiders or w/e can reach them

 

I always check if they are in mating season before going on manure hunt when Abi is up and running, last thing I want is her killing or heavily damaging them all

 

I don't really need their meat (koelafant hunts ahoy + slaughtered wannabe werepigs), got 2 chests filled with wool, 3 with horns, got 6 beefalo hats premade (1 at each camp and 3 at main base) and I can pop sewing kits faster than Ford was making automobiles in 70's But they are my best / fastest way to get manure (cave's also gives me plenty but they are not close to my main base, nor do the bats respawn, so I must be careful to not exterminate them - at least underground, it seems the ones that pop outside sinkhole every dusk are renewable).

 

The damned pigs won't eat more than 1 fruit / vegetable a day (they refuse more ^_^) so even with my 6 pigs village at my main base I'd be hard pressed to produce enough both for heating / fertilizing (13 improved farms).

 

But yeah, main dangers for beef herds are deerclops & hounds during summer time (since the beefalos act like cows and bunch up together, so when a fire dog explodes setting stuff on fire, they all catch fire).

 

Am quite busy now working on revitalizing the world I abused in my first 2-3 years, replanting trees, grass, berries, eradicating new spider dens set by queens with lack of vision etc

[Acet]

[...]

they are my best / fastest way to get manure (cave's also gives me plenty but they are not close to my main base, nor do the bats respawn, so I must be careful to not exterminate them - at least underground, it seems the ones that pop outside sinkhole every dusk are renewable).

 

The damned pigs won't eat more than 1 fruit / vegetable a day (they refuse more ^_^) so even with my 6 pigs village at my main base I'd be hard pressed to produce enough both for heating / fertilizing (13 improved farms).

Sounds like a lot of work for food and heating.

 

It's far easier to just let the vegetables grow on the farms at normal speed and only fertilize when the farms get depleted, use bunnies as main food source

you can catch them with zero effort simply by leaving traps next to bunny holes

and use wood for fire (if you're going to the caves, you should have enough gold and flint to make axes and shovels forever).

 

Are you following a vegetarian diet or something!?

[Cynical Cynicist]

Sounds like a lot of work for food and heating.

 

It's far easier to just let the vegetables grow on the farms at normal speed and only fertilize when the farms get depleted, use bunnies as main food source

you can catch them with zero effort simply by leaving traps next to bunny holes

and use wood for fire (if you're going to the caves, you should have enough gold and flint to make axes and shovels forever).

 

Are you following a vegetarian diet or something!?

Don't use bunnies as your main food source, please.

[dharthoorn]

I just have WIlson flash his pink virgin bottom when they're in heat and they follow just fine.

[Anelyn]

@Acet: 

 

I think you misunderstood me I can collect well over 20 manures from the nearby beefalo population / day without spending all time near them, which is more than enough for heating (I exclusively use manure for fueling firecamps / pits since is easily renewable comparable to wool / charcoal).

 

I don't really use the farms much since except dragon pies all other veggie based food is one way or another inferior to meat versions, but I like to have a piece of everything and cooking various recipes whenever I feel like it, breaks the monotony Plus is an extra activity to do when I want to labor around main base

 

I have 7 chests filled with bunnies which I no longer use at all (they were used as food in the first season, after that slowly became beardlings farming, then that wasn't needed anymore either) despite I have over 60 traps spread around my base (2 savanna with plenty of holes) as well as another 30 traps near 9 lakes which I fill up once during summer (rest of frogs I deal with by planting several lureplants near the pools, as frogs BAF from 1 screen away). 

[Crown_king]

Ummm. beefalo horn

[the truthseeker]

The damned pigs won't eat more than 1 fruit / vegetable a day (they refuse more ^_^) so even with my 6 pigs village at my main base I'd be hard pressed to produce enough both for heating / fertilizing (13 improved farms).

They will. Just wait 2-30 seconds after feeding one. They will not immediately eat after eating, ironically 'cause they're freakin' pigs! 

 

@Acet: 

 

I think you misunderstood me I can collect well over 20 manures from the nearby beefalo population / day without spending all time near them, which is more than enough for heating (I exclusively use manure for fueling firecamps / pits since is easily renewable comparable to wool / charcoal).

 

I don't really use the farms much since except dragon pies all other veggie based food is one way or another inferior to meat versions, but I like to have a piece of everything and cooking various recipes whenever I feel like it, breaks the monotony Plus is an extra activity to do when I want to labor around main base

 

I have 7 chests filled with bunnies which I no longer use at all (they were used as food in the first season, after that slowly became beardlings farming, then that wasn't needed anymore either) despite I have over 60 traps spread around my base (2 savanna with plenty of holes) as well as another 30 traps near 9 lakes which I fill up once during summer (rest of frogs I deal with by planting several lureplants near the pools, as frogs BAF from 1 screen away).

Ummm, Krampus Sack farming?

 

Ummm. beefalo horn

That is the best way of moving them. But moving them to where and how to keep them safe also needs to be addressed as it has been earlier.

[Anelyn]

@Truthseeker:

 

I try to not make a purpose of getting the sack, and just spawn him when I accidentally kill several innocent NPCs (or Abi goes rampage), or I am already killing beardlings for stuff, so if he (they) come, I am ready, but won't repeat this process just to try to get the sack.

 

Especially playing as Wendi when Abi is following you 75% of time, having a piggyback + walking cane allows her to not get completely lost (and chester too). So in my Wendi playthrough the krampus sack is not a must have item, more of a vanity (got this too!) type of thing

[gummie]

I just leave them be there self. Camp somewhere just comfortably near their spots. Though there is this one time that I had attack and lure 10 of them and train them to stay on that spot for my convenience.

[Acet]

I exclusively use manure for fueling firecamps / pits since is easily renewable comparable to wool / charcoal.

 

That's what I don't understand. Why not just use wood as fuel?

 

I always hack down a tree, remove the stump with a shovel (for 1 extra wood) and plant a pinecone where it stood. Around my base camp I usually have an area of trees, all planted with quite a bit of space in between (to reduce the chance of Treeguards) from which I can get wood quickly and easilly.

 

Frankly, on the very rare occasions I do get a treeguard, it's actually more fun than anything else and if I don't fell like fighting it just then, I can just plant a couple of pinecones until he looses aggro.

 

In fact, the system is so efficient at limiting Treeguard spawning that my main problem is a lack of Living Logs.

 

----

 

It just feels a little too limiting to one's playing style to be dependent large amounts of manure and thus on beefaloes. In my case, because all I need from beefalos is a bit of manure for farms and the occasional horn and wool, I'm much less limited in where I put my campsite and don't need to find the beefalos until later in the game (and have even had long running worlds where there were no beefalos at all).

[TeoSS69]

 

In fact, the system is so efficient at limiting Treeguard spawning that my main problem is a lack of Living Logs.

 

I actually have a chest full of living logs. So yeah...

[Estel]

That's what I don't understand. Why not just use wood as fuel?

 

I always hack down a tree, remove the stump with a shovel (for 1 extra wood) and plant a pinecone where it stood. Around my base camp I usually have an area of trees, all planted with quite a bit of space in between (to reduce the chance of Treeguards) from which I can get wood quickly and easilly.

(...)

It just feels a little too limiting to one's playing style to be dependent large amounts of manure and thus on beefaloes. In my case, because all I need from beefalos is a bit of manure for farms and the occasional horn and wool, I'm much less limited in where I put my campsite and don't need to find the beefalos until later in the game (and have even had long running worlds where there were no beefalos at all).

^This. Except for fact that I *don't* separate tress, and treeguard apperance is a gift, not curse. Sure, it's probably easier for powergaming with beefalos, but they're irritating as hell with all their growling, and herding them is boooooring.

Not to mention the greatly immersion-breaking thing of using manure-only for fires, without any amount of wood.

/Estel