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Egg production

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This article is about the current version of DF.
Note that some content may still need to be updated.

Poultry sprites preview.png

Egg production, like the meat industry, beekeeping industry, fishing industry, and farming, creates food. In egg production, collection and cooking of eggs is the primary activity, as, over time, domestic poultry, such as chickens, can produce much more food as eggs than the same animal produces as meat when butchered (1 egg = 1 meat = 1 meal). When starting out a new fortress, raising poultry can be an excellent way to quickly fill up your food barrels as it requires very little set-up for your dwarves. As a by-product of egg production, older or excess animals can be butchered as part of the meat industry.

Acquiring egg-laying animals[edit]

There are several sources for obtaining egg-laying animals, outlined below.

Embark[edit]

You can buy domestic poultry at embark and even decide how many males and females of each animal you embark with. Since you don't need males to produce eggs, and need only one male to breed, you could embark with three or four hens, and a single rooster. Poultry animals are very economical to purchase at embark, costing only 6 each.

Of the domestic poultry, turkeys produce the most eggs per clutch on average, followed by ducks, then chickens and guineafowl. Turkeys are also the largest poultry animals, and produce the most meat and other products if butchered as part of the meat industry, with geese and blue peafowl only slightly smaller. All domestic poultry become adults one year after hatching, but geese, blue peafowl, and guineafowl grow to full size at one year; other poultry only reach full size after two years.

Migration[edit]

Domestic poultry may arrive at your fortress with a wave of migrants. These animals may be strays or pets.

Trading[edit]

Requires: A trade depot, a trader, a merchant, and some tradeable goods

You can purchase egg-laying animals from a caravan. While human and dwarven merchants will generally bring standard poultry, elven merchants may bring tamed exotic egg-laying animals, which may prove useful for value or defense purposes.

Cage traps[edit]

Requires: Cages, mechanisms, a mechanic, animal training zone and an animal trainer

It is also possible to catch egg-laying animals through judicious use of cage traps. This, of course, involves building cage traps where these animals will walk or fly. Once they are trapped the caged animal (or invader) will be delivered to an animal stockpile and the trap will be reset with a fresh cage.

Cage traps should be built where animals will walk, not where they are when you decide to trap them. Any dwarves sent out to create and arm traps in the animals' midst will scare them away, or trigger their aggression. To successfully trap large animals, form a choke point some distance away from them: build walls, perhaps several z-levels high, to create a continuous barrier to movement.

Leave a small gap one or two tiles wide (depending on how many of the critters you want to trap) and build your cage traps there. If the animals haven't moved off or been scared off by the time you're done, and they're docile enough to not attack once they see your dwarves, use military orders to send a dwarf (or several) around behind the animals and herd them toward the choke point.

Note also that cage traps cannot be built within a certain number of tiles of the map edge, so when planning your funnels and choke points, be sure to leave four or five tiles as a buffer zone.

What wild egg-layers are available depends highly on the biome. In general, most maps have flying birds of one kind or another, but they tend to stay up in the air, where cage traps can't get them. Several underground creatures are egg-layers, and as such are available on every map, such as the crundle, elk bird or the rare and dangerous jabberer.

Egg-laying animals that are caught in a cage trap need to be tamed by an animal trainer at an animal training zone before they can be safely used to produce eggs. Note that you are not limited to standard domestic poultry; some of the most lucrative and prolific egg-layers are reptiles.

Breeding[edit]

Requires: One or more adult females and one adult male of each species, one or more nest boxes, and time

If a compatible male and a female of the same species are adjacent to each other and there is an open constructed nest box for the female to occupy and lay a clutch of eggs in, then sooner or later (and probably sooner) the male will fertilize the eggs laid by the female. A female can lay a clutch of eggs again immediately after the last clutch hatches. A female that cannot claim a nest box will not lay a clutch of eggs.

A fertilized clutch will only hatch if they are left in the nest box undisturbed and their mother is allowed to incubate the eggs. Collecting the eggs, slaughtering or training the mother, or deconstructing the nest box will all prevent the eggs from hatching. A clutch of eggs to be used for breeding should be forbidden to prevent their collection. Even if the eggs and mother are left undisturbed, it is possible that clutch was not fertilized. Eggs that don't hatch after two seasons will likely never hatch. To make sure that the eggs are left undisturbed, make sure that no stockpiles accept that type of egg, and if you cook any meals make sure that that type of egg is turned off in the kitchen sub-screen of the status screen. Alternatively, you can put the nest boxes in a room behind a door and forbid the door to keep your dwarves away from the eggs.

As a large number of free-roaming animals will reduce your game speed, a common strategy is to cage all your young poultry until they mature. Keep in mind, though, that some tamed wild species take more than a year to mature, unlike most domestic animals. For example, it may be excusable to butcher a saltwater crocodile hatchling right away, rather than wait 3 years for it to mature and produce more meat and bones.

Using cage traps judiciously (or taking advantage of the animals elves trade) can sometimes snag you a breeding pair of a wild animal. Tame something unusual and start something crazy, like a cave crocodile farm!

Capture[edit]

Through the use of expeditions, a player can capture animals not otherwise available. For example, raiding a goblin settlement may yield beak dogs which, curiously, lay eggs.

Egg collection[edit]

Requires: A tame adult female egg-laying animal, a nest box, and food hauling

Once you have at least one tame adult female egg-laying animal, you need to build a nest box to begin production of delicious and filling eggs. Every so often, the adult females will claim a nest box and lay a clutch of eggs. Then, a food hauler will collect the eggs and move them to a food stockpile. Food hauling is an unskilled labor, so any dwarf in the fortress can do it. Egg collection is a great way to use those peasants that otherwise just move boulders around the fortress. This is a small guide aimed towards egg farming, I hope this helps and makes it easy to understand the egg industry... likewise an egg industry can be implemented towards a meat/leather/bone industry at any time with patience. Here's the guide : https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2975716340

Eggs must be cooked into prepared meals at a kitchen before they can be eaten by dwarves.

Egg-laying animals[edit]

Outdoor Animals
Animal Graphic Body Size (max) Maturation Time (years) Max Age (years) Number of Eggs Egg Size** Notes
Adder Adder sprite.png 150 0* 15-20 3-10 16
Albatross Albatross sprite.png 8,000 1 40-50 1 305
Alligator Alligator sprite.png 400,000 1 60-100 10-30 80
Alligator snapping turtle Alligator snapping turtle sprite.png 80,000 0* 30-70 5-10 70
Barn owl Barn owl sprite.png 500 1 10-20 3-6 32
Beak dog Beak dog sprite.png 150,000 1 10-20 5-10 1600 Domestic in goblin civilizations.
Not tameable until v0.44.07.
Black mamba Black mamba sprite.png 5,000 0* 10-15 10-30 50
Blue peafowl Peafowls sprite anim.gif 4,000 1 15-30 6-8 102 Domestic
Bushmaster Bushmaster sprite.png 8,500 0* 12-24 10-20 22
Buzzard Buzzard sprite.png 1,400 1 10-20 2-3 60
Cassowary Cassowary sprite.png 50,000 1 40-50 3-6 550
Chicken Chickens sprite anim.gif 3,000 1 7-15 4-15 62 Domestic
Common snapping turtle Snapping turtle sprite.png 30,000 0* 30-50 5-10 50
Desert tortoise Desert tortoise sprite.png 5,500 1 80-100 3-5 40
Duck Ducks sprite anim.gif 1,000 1 7-9 8-13 52 Domestic
Eagle Eagle sprite.png 4,000 1 20-30 1-3 142
Echidna Echidna sprite.png 10,000 1 10-20 1 1
Emperor penguin Emperor penguin sprite.png 30,000 1 20-50 1 465 Not tameable
Emu Emu sprite.png 35,000 1 15-25 5-15 805
Giant adder Giant adder sprite.png 201,049 0* 15-20 3-10 16
Giant albatross Giant albatross sprite.png 256,320 1 40-50 1 305
Giant alligator Giant alligator sprite.png 3,268,000 1 60-100 10-30 80
Giant anole Giant anole sprite.png 200,629 0* 5-7 1-2 10
Giant barn owl Giant barn owl sprite.png 203,500 1 10-20 3-6 32
Giant black mamba Giant black mamba sprite.png 235,100 0* 10-15 10-30 50
Giant bluejay Giant bluejay sprite.png 200,700 1 10-20 2-7 11
Giant bushmaster Giant bushmaster sprite.png 259,845 0* 12-24 10-20 22
Giant bushtit Giant bushtit sprite.png 200,035 1 1-2 5-13 1
Giant buzzard Giant buzzard sprite.png 209,804 1 10-20 2-3 60
Giant cardinal Giant cardinal sprite.png 200,350 1 10-20 2-5 9
Giant cassowary Giant cassowary sprite.png 560,000 1 40-50 3-6 550
Giant chameleon Giant chameleon sprite.png 201,049 0* 5-10 40-50 10
Giant cockatiel Giant cockatiel sprite.png 200,629 1 15-30 2-8 11
Giant crow Giant crow sprite.png 203,500 1 10-15 4-6 21
Giant desert tortoise Giant desert tortoise sprite.png 238,645 1 80-100 3-5 40
Giant eagle Giant eagle sprite.png 228,040 1 20-30 1-3 142
Giant echidna Giant echidna sprite.png 270,500 1 10-20 1 1
Giant emu Giant emu sprite.png 450,100 1 15-25 5-15 805
Giant gila monster Giant gila monster sprite.png 214,020 1 20-30 2-12 32
Giant grackle Giant grackle sprite.png 200,840 1 10-20 1-7 12
Giant great horned owl Giant great horned owl sprite.png 214,020 1 15-20 1-5 51
Giant grey parrot Giant grey parrot sprite.png 202,800 1 40-60 1-5 40
Giant hornbill Giant hornbill sprite.png 217,525 1 35-40 1-4 50
Giant iguana Giant iguana sprite.png 228,040 1 10-20 40-50 15
Giant kakapo Giant kakapo sprite.png 221,040 7 60-120 1-4 52
Giant kea Giant kea sprite.png 207,010 1 30-50 2-5 62
Giant kestrel Giant kestrel sprite.png 201,750 1 10-20 3-6 32
Giant king cobra Giant king cobra sprite.png 242,160 0* 15-25 10-30 5
Giant kingsnake Giant kingsnake sprite.png 210,510 0* 20-30 5-12 20
Giant kiwi Giant kiwi sprite.png 217,525 1 20-50 1-2 450
Giant loon Giant loon sprite.png 242,160 1 25-30 2-4 152
Giant lorikeet Giant lorikeet sprite.png 201,400 1 15-30 2 11
Giant magpie Giant magpie sprite.png 201,400 1 10-20 2-5 11
Giant masked lovebird Giant masked lovebird sprite.png 200,629 1 10-15 4-5 7
Giant monitor lizard Giant monitor lizard sprite.png 933,000 1 20-30 15-25 70
Giant oriole Giant oriole sprite.png 200,280 1 10-20 3-7 8
Giant osprey Giant osprey sprite.png 214,020 1 20-30 2-4 60
Giant ostrich Giant ostrich sprite.png 857,700 1 35-45 10-15 2000
Giant parakeet Giant parakeet sprite.png 200,840 1 15-25 2-4 11
Giant peach-faced lovebird Giant peach faced lovebird sprite.png 200,419 1 10-15 4-6 9
Giant peregrine falcon Giant peregrine falcon sprite.png 113,292 1 12-15 3-4 46
Giant platypus Giant platypus sprite.png 214,020 1 10-20 1-3 11
Giant pond turtle Giant pond turtle sprite.png 203,500 0* 40-100 1-15 6
Giant puffin Giant puffin sprite.png 205,252 1 15-20 1 30
Giant python Giant python sprite.png 1,700,000 0* 10-20 10-30 50
Giant raven Giant raven sprite.png 208,404 1 20-40 3-7 52
Giant red-winged blackbird Giant red-winged blackbird sprite.png 200,350 1 10-20 2-4 11
Giant saltwater crocodile Giant saltwater crocodile sprite.png 6,440,000 3 60-100 20-70 100
Giant skink Giant skink sprite.png 203,500 0* 15-20 10-30 10
Giant snapping turtle Giant snapping turtle sprite.png 414,000 0* 30-50 5-10 50
Giant snowy owl Giant snowy owl sprite.png 214,020 1 10-30 5-10 62
Giant sparrow Giant sparrow sprite.png 200,210 1 5-10 2-7 3
Giant swan Giant swan sprite.png 270,500 1 10-25 5-7 340
Giant tortoise Giant tortoise sprite.png 300,000 1 100-200 5-10 82
Giant vulture Giant vulture sprite.png 263,430 1 10-20 1-3 60
Giant white stork Giant white stork sprite.png 221,040 1 20-40 1-7 110
Giant wren Giant wren sprite.png 200,280 1 5-7 3-10 5
Gigantic tortoise Gigantic tortoise sprite.png 2,478,000 1 100-200 5-10 82
Gila monster Gila monster sprite.png 2,000 1 20-30 2-12 32
Goose Goose sprite.png 4,500 1 10-24 3-8 152 Domestic
Great horned owl Great horned owl sprite.png 2,000 1 15-20 1-5 51
Grey parrot Grey parrot sprite.png 400 1 40-60 1-5 40
Guineafowl Guineafowl sprite.png 1,500 1 10-15 4-15 42 Domestic
Hornbill Hornbill sprite.png 2,500 1 35-40 1-4 50
Iguana Iguana sprite.png 4,000 1 10-20 40-50 15
Kakapo Kakapo sprite.png 3,000 7 60-120 1-4 52
Kea Kea sprite.png 1,000 1 30-50 2-5 62
Kestrel Kestrel sprite.png 250 1 10-20 3-6 32
King cobra King cobra sprite.png 6,000 0* 15-25 10-30 5
Kingsnake Kingsnake sprite.png 1,500 0* 20-30 5-12 20
Kiwi Kiwi sprite.png 2,500 1 20-50 1-2 450
Kobold Kobold sprite.png 20,000 12 150-170 1-2 1100 Forms crude civilizations, not tameable
Little penguin Little penguin sprite.png 1,500 1 20-30 2 53 Not tameable
Loon Loon sprite.png 6,000 1 25-30 2-4 152
Monitor lizard Monitor lizard sprite.png 100,000 1 20-30 15-25 70
Osprey Osprey sprite.png 2,000 1 20-30 2-4 60
Ostrich Ostrich sprite anim.gif 90,000 1 35-45 10-15 2,000
Penguin Penguin sprite.png 4,000 1 20-30 2 125 Not tameable
Peregrine falcon Peregrine falcon sprite.png 600 1 12-15 3-4 46
Platypus Platypus sprite.png 2,000 1 10-20 1-3 11
Puffin Puffin sprite.png 750 1 15-20 1 30
Python Python sprite.png 200,000 0* 10-20 10-30 50
Raven Raven sprite.png 1,200 1 20-40 3-7 52
Saltwater crocodile Saltwater crocodile sprite.png 800,000 3 60-100 20-70 100
Sea serpent Sea serpent sprite.png 9,000,000 6 150-175 1 6100 Aquatic, cannot lay eggs due to a bug.Bug:4105
Snowy owl Snowy owl sprite.png 2,000 1 10-30 5-10 62
Swan Swan sprite.png 10,000 1 10-25 5-7 340
Turkey Turkey sprite.png 5,000 1 7-10 10-14 87 Domestic
Vulture Vulture sprite.png 9,000 1 10-20 1-3 60
White stork White stork sprite.png 3,000 1 20-40 1-7 110
* This creature cannot be fully tamed by dwarves, and thus will require frequent training.
** Egg size does not currently affect food quantity.


Subterranean Animals
Animal Graphic Body Size (max) Maturation Time (years) Max Age (years) Number of Eggs Egg Size** Notes
Cave crocodile Cave crocodile sprite.png 600,000 3 60-100 20-60 80
Cave dragon Cave dragon sprite anim.gif 15,000,000 0* Immortal 1-3 6100
Crundle Crundle sprite.png 10,000 0* 10-20 5-20 60
Elk bird Elk bird sprite.png 100,000 1 10-20 2-10 60 Grazer, may starve itself to death while incubating eggs.Bug:4637
Giant cave swallow Giant cave swallow sprite.png 200,000 1 10-20 2-3 2100
Helmet snake Helmet snake sprite.png 50,000 0* 40-60 10-30 50
Jabberer Jabberer sprite anim.gif 4,500,000 1 10-20 1-2 5100
* This creature cannot be fully tamed by dwarves, and thus will require frequent training.
** Egg size does not currently affect food quantity.


Megabeasts
Animal Graphic Body Size (max) Maturation Time (years) Max Age (years) Number of Eggs Egg Size** Notes
Dragon Dragon sprite.png 25,000,000 0* Immortal 1-3 6100
Roc Roc sprite.png 20,000,000 1 Immortal 1-2 201000
* This creature cannot be fully tamed by dwarves, and thus will require frequent training.
** Egg size does not currently affect food quantity.


Animal people[edit]

Animal People*
Animal Graphic Body Size (max) Maturation Time (years) Max Age (years) Number of Eggs Egg Size** Notes
Adder man Adder man sprite.png 35,075 0 60-80 3-10 16
Albatross man Albatross man sprite.png 39,000 1 60-80 1 305
Alligator man Alligator man sprite.png 235,000 1 60-80 10-30 80
Anole man Anole man sprite.png 35,045 0 60-80 1-2 10
Barn owl man Barn owl man sprite.png 35,250 1 60-80 3-6 32
Black mamba man Black mamba man sprite.png 37,500 0 60-80 10-30 50
Bluejay man Bluejay man sprite.png 35,050 1 60-80 2-7 11
Bushmaster man Bushmaster man sprite.png 39,250 0 60-80 10-20 22
Bushtit man Bushtit man sprite.png 35,002 1 60-80 5-13 1
Buzzard man Buzzard man sprite.png 35,700 1 60-80 2-3 60
Cardinal man Cardinal man sprite.png 35,025 1 60-80 2-5 9
Cassowary man Cassowary man sprite.png 60,000 1 60-80 3-6 550
Cave swallow man Cave swallow man sprite.png 35,050 1 20-30 4-5 11
Chameleon man Chameleon man sprite.png 35,075 0 60-80 40-50 10
Cockatiel man Cockatiel man sprite.png 35,045 1 60-80 2-8 11
Crow man Crow man sprite.png 35,250 1 60-80 4-6 21
Desert tortoise man Desert tortoise man sprite.png 37,750 1 60-89 3-5 40
Eagle man Eagle man sprite.png 37,000 1 60-80 1-3 142
Echidna man Echidna man sprite.png 40,000 1 60-80 1 1
Emu man Emu man sprite.png 52,500 1 60-80 5-15 805
Giant tortoise man Giant tortoise man sprite.png 185,000 1 60-80 5-10 82
Gila monster man Gila monster man sprite.png 36,000 1 60-80 2-12 32
Grackle man Grackle man sprite.png 35,060 1 60-80 1-7 12
Great horned owl man Great horned owl man sprite.png 36,000 1 60-80 1-5 51
Grey parrot man Grey parrot man sprite.png 35,200 1 60-80 1-5 40
Hornbill man Hornbill man sprite.png 36,250 1 60-80 1-4 50
Iguana man Iguana man sprite.png 37,000 1 60-80 40-50 15
Kakapo man Kakapo man sprite.png 36,500 7 60-80 1-4 52
Kea man Kea man sprite.png 35,500 1 60-80 2-5 62
Kestrel man Kestrel man sprite.png 35,125 1 60-80 3-6 32
King cobra man King cobra man sprite.png 38,000 0 60-80 10-30 5
Kingsnake man Kingsnake man sprite.png 35,750 0 60-80 5-12 20
Kiwi man Kiwi man sprite.png 36,250 1 60-80 1-2 450
Loon man Loon man sprite.png 38,000 1 60-80 2-4 152
Lorikeet man Lorikeet man sprite.png 35,100 1 60-80 2 11
Magpie man Magpie man sprite.png 35,100 1 60-80 2-5 11
Masked lovebird man Masked lovebird man sprite.png 35,045 1 60-80 4-5 7
Monitor lizard man Monitor lizard man sprite.png 85,000 1 60-80 15-25 70
Oriole man Oriole man sprite.png 35,020 1 60-80 3-7 8
Osprey man Osprey man sprite.png 36,000 1 60-80 2-4 60
Ostrich man Ostrich man sprite anim.gif 80,000 1 60-80 10-15 2000
Parakeet man Parakeet man sprite.png 35,060 1 60-80 2-4 11
Peach-faced lovebird man Peach faced lovebird man sprite.png 35,030 1 60-80 4-6 9
Peregrine falcon man Peregrine falcon man sprite.png 35,300 1 60-80 3-4 46
Platypus man Platypus man sprite.png 36,000 1 60-80 1-3 11
Pond turtle man Pond turtle man sprite.png 35,250 0 60-80 1-15 6
Puffin man Puffin man sprite.png 35,375 1 60-80 1 30
Python man Python man sprite.png 135,000 0 60-80 10-30 50
Raven man Raven man sprite.png 35,600 1 60-80 3-7 52
Red-winged blackbird man Red winged blackbird man sprite.png 35,025 1 60-80 2-4 11
Reptile man Reptile man sprite.png 50,000 12 60-80 1-3 1600
Saltwater crocodile man Saltwater crocodile man sprite.png 435,000 3 60-80 20-70 100
Serpent man Serpent man sprite.png 50,000 12 60-80 1-3 1600
Skink man Skink man sprite.png 35,250 0 60-80 10-30 10
Snapping turtle man Snapping turtle man sprite.png 50,000 0 60-80 5-10 50
Snowy owl man Snowy owl man sprite.png 36,000 1 60-80 5-10 62
Sparrow man Sparrow man sprite.png 35,015 1 60-80 2-7 3
Swan man Swan man sprite.png 40,000 1 60-80 5-7 340
Vulture man Vulture man sprite.png 39,500 1 60-80 1-3 60
White stork man White stork man sprite.png 36,500 1 60-80 1-7 110
Wren man Wren man sprite.png 35,020 1 60-80 3-10 5
* Animal people cannot be tamed, but they can join civilizations during worldgen and later arrive as visitors.
** Egg size does not currently affect food quantity.'


Vermin*
Animal Graphic Body Size (max) Maturation Time (years) Max Age (years) Number of Eggs Egg Size** Notes
Anole Anole sprite.png 90 0 5-7 1-2 10
Blue jay Blue jay sprite.png 100 1 10-20 2-7 11
Bushtit Bushtit sprite.png 5 1 1-2 5-13 1
Cardinal Cardinal sprite.png 50 1 10-20 2-5 9
Cave swallow Cave swallow sprite.png 100 1 10-20 4-5 11
Chameleon Chameleon sprite.png 150 0 5-10 40-50 10
Cockatiel Cockatiel sprite.png 90 1 15-30 2-8 11
Crow Crow sprite.png 500 1 10-15 4-6 21
Grackle Grackle sprite.png 120 1 10-20 1-7 12
Lorikeet Lorikeet sprite.png 200 1 15-30 2 11
Magpie Magpie sprite.png 200 1 10-20 2-5 11
Masked lovebird Masked lovebird sprite.png 90 1 10-15 4-5 7
Oriole Oriole sprite.png 40 1 10-20 3-7 8
Parakeet Parakeet sprite.png 120 1 15-25 2-4 11
Peach-faced lovebird Peach faced lovebird sprite.png 60 1 10-15 4-6 9
Pond turtle Pond turtle sprite.png 500 0 40-100 1-15 6
Red-winged blackbird Red-winged blackbird sprite.png 50 1 10-20 2-4 11
Skink Skink sprite.png 500 0 15-20 10-30 10
Sparrow Sparrow sprite.png 30 1 5-10 2-7 3
Two-legged rhino lizard Two legged rhino lizard sprite.png 1,000 1 2-3 10-30 40
Wren Wren sprite.png 40 1 5-7 3-10 5
* Vermin cannot currently be used for egg production in fortress mode.
** Egg size does not currently affect food quantity.'

Bugs[edit]

Aquatic egg-laying animals will not claim a nest box. It doesn't matter if the box is built underwater or on land. Bug:4105

Primary
Beekeeping · Farming · Fishing · Gathering · Meat · Poultry · Stone · Wood
Secondary
Alcohol · Armor · Arms · Ceramic · Extract · Finished goods · Fuel · Furniture · Gem · Glass · Metal · Paper · Soap · Textile
Tertiary
Quaternary