To increase chicken friendship in Stardew Valley, you must feed and pet them daily, provide warmth during winter, and let them roam the farm on sunny days. Happy chickens produce higher quality and more valuable eggs, so keep their happiness meter high by caring for their needs.
Raising chickens is an excellent way to earn profits in the early game. Chickens are the cheapest animals you can get and can be bought from Marnie’s Ranch.
Each animal in Stardew Valley has a different maturity time. However, chickens are one of the fastest animals to grow, they can start laying eggs in just 3-5 days with proper care.
Increasing friendship with chickens in Stardew Valley is not rocket science. It just requires a bit of care and attention.
If you follow the instructions I outlined in this article, you can turn your feathered friends into happy and productive members of your farm.
So, are you ready to become a chicken whisperer?
Best Way to Increase Chicken Friendship in Stardew Valley
Increasing the friendship or heart level between you and your chickens in Stardew Valley is essential; not only is having a strong friendship bond crucial for their well-being, but it also affects your profits.

Happier animals, especially chickens, produce premium quality and more profitable products, such as iridium-quality large eggs, whereas unhappy chickens produce low-quality eggs with even lower frequencies.
Thankfully, plenty of ways exist that can help you improve your chicken’s relationship in Stardew Valley.
- Spend time with your chickens
Neglected chickens are unhappy chickens. Interacting with your chickens through daily petting can improve their happiness and affection towards you.
Chickens require attention and love just like people, and spending time with them is crucial for their well-being.
Letting them roam freely around the farm can also accelerate their happiness meters, resulting in an increase in friendship.
- Ensure they have access to food
Did you know that a well-fed chicken is a happy chicken? The key to their heart lies in their stomach, so ensuring your chickens are always well-nourished is essential.
To keep your feathered friends satisfied, they love to munch on hay. You can get hay through a silo or by placing hay bundles in their feeding trough.
Another thing you can do is treat your chickens to a deluxe coop. It comes equipped with a hopper that automatically dispenses hay from the silo, saving you time and giving you peace of mind that your chickens won’t go hungry.
If you let your chickens roam freely, they’ll happily peck at any grass growing on your farm, providing a double benefit for you – a well-fed chimken and a neat farm.
- Provide warmth during the winter season
Winter can be a harsh season in Stardew Valley, your chickens will require a heightened level of care to maintain their health and comfort during this challenging season.
To accomplish this, the optimal option is to equip their coop with a heater. It’s a simple and budget-friendly solution that will keep your feathered friends warm and cozy and boost their overall wellness throughout the season.
Also, don’t forget to stack enough hay for winter since there will be no grass outside for them to eat.
As someone who has spent a long time playing this game, I can tell you that neglecting your chickens during the winter season is a formula for a disaster.
I learned this the hard way when I first started playing Stardew Valley. I thought I could ignore my chickens, and they would be fine.
But, boy! I was wrong. My chickens became grumpy and less productive, and it cost me much time and money to make up for my mistake.
- Invest in an auto-grabber or auto-petter
Let’s face it, as you advance in the game and have too many quests, animals, and things to care for, attending to your chickens and animals could prove to be a daunting task.
That’s why you can invest in an auto-grabber machine that can be placed in a coop or barn and automatically collect the chicken’s eggs daily.
It is an accessible option, and players can purchase it from Marnie’s shop for 25k gold.

However, the auto-grabber is not an alternative to manually taking care of chickens, which is crucial to building a relationship with them.
Another solution to fix this problem is getting an auto-petter that automatically pets barn and coop animals daily.
It costs 50,000g at JojaMart after completing the Joja Community Development Form or can be found in Skull Cavern treasure chests.
It’s also obtainable from monsters, crates, or barrels during the Danger In The Deep quest or after activating the Shrine of Challenge.
Why Are My Chickens Grumpy in Stardew Valley?
Now you bought your chickens, started feeding them, petting them, and all that. However, you notice your chickens are still grumpy and haven’t yet grown full hearts.
What should you do now? Well, building friendship and heart level with your chicken won’t happen overnight; it’s a bit long process, and it takes some time to notice.
Chickens have a low tolerance for neglect, unlike other animals in Stardew Valley.
So here are some things to look at if you notice your chickens are grumpy and just not feeling the love.

Let’s get straight to the point: why are your feathered friends giving you the cold shoulder, and what can you do to put a smile back on their beaks? Here are a few possible culprits:
- You left the door to their coop open in winter
Winter is a different month for chickens and all animals in Stardew Vally, unlike other months where you can leave your chickens to roam free on your farm.
You actually need to close the coop door during winter to keep the chickens warm. Otherwise, they will get cold and unhappy.
- You missed a feeding day.
Each chicken requires a daily portion of hay. They’ll start looking skinny and moody if you forget to stock up on the trough. Check your hay supplies, and in a pinch, gather some grass.
I once let this slip, and my chickens let me know it. They avoided me and made sad clucking sounds until I showered them with extra love and care.
- You left them out at night.
If chickens can’t get into their coop at night, they’ll be forced to sleep outside and wake up grumpy. Plus, predators might pounce on them, adding to their anxiety.
Leave the door open so they can come and go as they please. They’ll return to the coop on their own when the time is right. Don’t forget to shut the door in winter, though.
- They need more attention.
It’s not that they’re cranky, but without daily petting, they’ll feel neglected. Give them a little love, and you’ll make them happy in no time.
Just spend some time with them and show them affection. You’ll build a strong and faster friendship.
The bottom line is, raising cheerful chickens in Stardew Valley requires effort, but it’s worth it for top-quality goods.
Remember to feed them, keep them safe and comfy, and shower them with love.
Conclusion
So, to wrap things up. Increasing chicken friendship in Stardew Valley requires a big effort and quite some time, but it’s totally worth it.
You can increase your chickens’ happiness and affection toward you by providing them with warmth, food, and love.
It’s important to remember to check on them regularly and keep them safe from predators.
By following the tips discussed in this article, you can create a strong friendship with your chickens and enjoy the benefits of their high-quality goods.
FAQs
- What Happens if You Don’t Feed Your Chickens in Stardew Valley?
Brace yourself- they’re not going to be their usual cheery selves. Chickens need one unit of hay daily, and if they miss their serving, they’ll turn grumpy and stop laying eggs.
- How do you improve chicken mood in Stardew Valley?
Start petting them daily- it’ll boost their spirits and make them feel loved. Keep them well-fed, let them out of their coop during the day, and ensure they stay warm and cozy with a heater during winter.
- How can you check if your Chickens are happy?
It’s quite easy to check if your chickens are happy, just walk to them and right-click on them, and you’ll see their heart meter representing your friendship growth. 5 hearts is the goal.