In Vintage Story, a farm can breathe life into the otherwise bleak-looking world. A Chicken Coop is an ideal starting point, as it becomes a renewable source of sustenance. But how can you build a Chicken Coop and capture chickens in Vintage Story? Read on to find out!

How to Build a Chicken Coop in Vintage Story

Note: Image courtesy of MegaGran. Vintage Story is a sandbox game at its core, and that element is present when making a Chicken Coop. With that, the player is free to build a Chicken Coop following their design preferences. Nonetheless, some requirements must be present for the livestock house to be fully functional. These must-haves are as follows:

• Enclosed space
• Trough (with feed)
• Chickens

Building the Chicken Coop

Note: Image courtesy of MegaGran. Ideally, build the Chicken Coop first before capturing chickens in Vintage Story. Otherwise, you’ll have trouble keeping the livestock in check, as they’re moving about the area without restrictions. Start this project by building a perimeter. Assuming that you’re playing on a Vanilla Vintage Story server, and you’re not using any mods, craft fences to help keep the chickens in one place. For starters, you can craft Rough-Hewn, Wooden, or Dry Stone Fences. The crafting recipes for these items are as follows:

Rough-Hewn Fence

• Crafting Recipe: 1x Axe, 2x Stick, and 2x Log
• Yields: 12x Rough-Hewn Fence
• Crafting Diagram: Axe-Stick-Empty Log-Stick-Log Empty-Empty-Empty

Wooden Fence

• Crafting Recipe: 4x Board and 2x Stick
• Yields: 8x Wooden Fence
• Crafting Diagram: Board-Stick-Board Board-Stick-Board Empty-Empty-Empty

Dry Stone Fence

• Crafting Recipe: 6x Stone
• Yields: 1x Dry Stone Fence
• Crafting Diagram: Stone-Stone-Stone Stone-Stone-Stone Empty-Empty-Empty

Next, consider installing a gate for easy access to the Chicken Coop. New Vintage Story players can craft either a Rough-Hewn or Wooden Fence Gate for their chicken enclosures. The crafting recipes for these entryways are as follows:

Rough-Hewn Gate

• Crafting Recipe: 1x Axe, 4x Stick, and 4x Log
• Yields: 2x Rough-Hewn Gate
• Crafting Diagram: Axe-Log-Stick Log-Stick-Log Stick-Log-Stick

Wooden Fence Gate

• Crafting Recipe: 4x Stick and 2x Board
• Yields: 1x Wooden Fence Gate
• Crafting Diagram: Stick-Board-Stick Stick-Board-Stick Empty-Empty-Empty

Apart from the gate and enclosure, don’t forget to add a light source attached to your Vintage Story Chicken Coop. Otherwise, your livestock may despawn if you’re away on your adventure longer than expected. With the corral established, the next step is to ensure your chickens are well fed. So, craft either a Large or Small Trough, and place it in the Chicken Coop. Follow these recipes to craft a trough for the chicken enclosure:

Small Trough

• Crafting Recipe: 3x Board
• Yields: 1x Small Trough
• Crafting Diagram: Board-Empty-Board Empty-Board-Empty Empty-Empty-Empty

Large Trough

• Crafting Recipe: 5x Board
• Yields: 1x Large Trough
• Crafting Diagram: Board-Empty-Board Board-Board-Board Empty-Empty-Empty

Don’t forget to place the trough in the Chicken Coop for it to function as intended. Also, the feeding station should be stocked with grain, as it’s the primary food choice for chickens in Vintage Story. Remember, unfed chickens will starve and will be unable to reproduce and gain weight for slaughter. However, the animals won’t die because of starvation.

How to Capture a Chicken in Vintage Story

Now that you have a coop placed in your Vintage Story world, it’s time to capture a chicken. So, build a Reed Basket or Reinforced Wooden Crate Trap to capture a wild chicken. The crafting recipes for these traps are as follows:

Reed Basket Trap

• Crafting Recipe: 1x Reed/Papyrus Chest
• Yields: 1x Reed Basket Trap
• Crafting Diagram: Reed/Papyrus Chest-Stick-Empty Empty-Empty-Empty Empty-Empty-Empty

Reinforced Wooden Crate Trap

• Crafting Recipe: 20x Board and 4x Nails and Strips
• Yields: 1x Reinforced Wooden Crate Trap
• Crafting Diagram: Nails and Strips-4x Board-Nails and Strips 4x Board-4x Board-4x Board Nails and Strips-4x Board-Nails and Strips

Next, find a wild chicken, and ensure that you’re at least 10 blocks away from it. If not, you’ll spook the animal, reducing your chances of capturing it for your coop! Assuming you found a wild chicken, set the trap and place grain in it as bait. Then, wait for the trap to spring. The chicken’s health may be reduced, as it’s flailing in the trap. So, hurry to your chicken coop and release the livestock as soon as possible. If you’re far from the coop, release the animal and hold it in your chest for faster health recovery. Remember, you must capture a hen and a rooster to start cultivating eggs. Otherwise, your chickens won’t reproduce, and you’ll most likely only have them as pets!