Starsand Island invites you to escape the hustle and embrace the simple joys of country life, where every day brings new opportunities to connect with the world around you. While you can spend the day fishing, farming and making friends, you can also make your farm a home to some furry friends. Caring for animals is a fun, adorable and financially rewarding part of Starsand Island, and this guide will walk you through everything you need to know.
Note: Starsand Island came out in Early Access on the 12th of February 2026. As such, the information in this guide is subject to change as the game updates and we find out more information.
The Basics of Ranching
You can acquire animals in two ways: by finding them in the wild while clearing trees, shrubs, and bushes, or by purchasing them from Green Pasture Ranch. There are a variety of animals to find in Starsand Island, which will help you out on the farm and in your cozy life. From alpacas you can ride, and who will give you wool, to chickens that will lay eggs as well as clean out bugs on your farm for you. Each animal has a byproduct you can farm as well as a job that they’ll help you do.
But before bringing any animal home, you’ll need the right shelter. Each species requires a specific type of housing, and you can obtain these blueprints either by levelling up your Rancher profession or purchasing them directly at the ranch. Once you’ve placed a shelter on your land, interact with it to add up to four animals.
To start receiving valuable byproducts from your livestock, you must keep them well-fed. You can add animal feed directly into their shelter or use a larger feed trough. This food can be crafted yourself or bought from shops, so choose whichever method suits your playstyle.
Feeding your animals will produce standard byproducts, but if you want to double your yield, you’ll need to focus on their happiness. Regular petting, strumming tunes on your Ukulele, and hand-feeding special treats will all boost an animal’s mood. Keeping them clean with a Brush or Cleaning Pod is equally important. Each day, your happy, well-fed animals will leave byproducts at their shelter. Just walk up and press G to collect everything at once, and enjoy the fruits of your attentive care.
All Animal Byproducts and Jobs
| Animal | Byproduct | Job |
|---|---|---|
| Alpaca | Wool, Spit | Mount |
| Bumblebee | Honey | – |
| Chicken | Eggs, Feathers | Clear bugs from farm fields |
| Cow | Milk, Sleep Sand, Moo Ball, Fur | – |
| Deer | Deer Antler | Mount |
| Duck | Duck Eggs, Feathers | Clear snails from rice fields |
| Horse | Fur, Horse Dew | Mount |
| Musk Deer | Musk, Musk Cocoon | – |
| Ostrich | Ostrich Egg | Mount |
| Pig | Fur, Poop, Truffle, Unknown Mud Pile | – |
| Queen Bee | Bumblebees | – |
| Rabbit | Rabbit Poop, Wool | Clean weeds |
| Sheep | Wool, Sheep Saliva, Cheese Block, Milk | Mount |
To use an animal as a mount, it must be fully grown. Once you have an animal that can be mounted, you’ll need to equip them with a Friendship Collar. You can purchase this blueprint from the Green Pasture Ranch shop once you reach Senior Rancher status, then craft it at a Worktable. After crafting and equipping the collar, approach your animal and press F to ride them.
Note: All animals will give poop
Animal Breeding
Breeding opens the door to discovering new, rarer varieties across Starsand Island. To begin breeding, you’ll need two Adult animals—one female and one male. Before they can pair, check each animal’s Info page to confirm they are marked as “Breedable.” Adult animals typically become breedable within two days of maturing, and after breeding, you’ll need to wait another two days before they can breed again.
Once your pair is ready, ensure there is available space in their shelter. Most shelters only accommodate four animals at a time, so you may need to relocate other occupants to make room. After confirming everything is set, wait one night and check back the following morning for new arrivals.
When breeding occurs, each offspring has a chance of being a different variety, with appearance genes inherited randomly from both parents. If you’re hoping to breed a specific rare variety, you’ll need to invest in a Breeding Station, which significantly increases your control over the outcome.
Alpaca
| Animal Breed | Rarity | How To Breed |
|---|---|---|
| Alpaca | Common | – |
| Punk Alpaca | Rare | Common Alpaca + Common Alpaca |
| Middle-Parted Alpaca | Rare | Common Alpaca + Common Alpaca |
| Cotton Candy Alpaca | Super Rare | Punk Alpaca + Middle-Parted Alpaca |
Chicken
| Animal Breed | Rarity | How To Breed |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | Common | – |
| Ink Chicken | Rare | Common Chicken + Common Chicken |
| Pearl Chicken | Rare | Common Chicken + Common Chicken |
| Golden Chicken | Super Rare | Ink Chicken + Common Chicken Pearl Chicken + Common Chicken |
Cow
| Animal Breed | Rarity | How To Breed |
|---|---|---|
| Cow | Common | – |
| Fluffhorn | Rare | Common Cow + Common Cow |
| Hornox | Rare | Common Cow + Common Cow |
| Pyrox | Super Rare | Fluffhorn + Hornox |
Deer
| Animal Breed | Rarity | How To Breed |
|---|---|---|
| Spotted Deer | Common | – |
| White Deer | Rare | Common Deer + Common Deer |
| Lucky Deer | Rare | Common Deer + Common Deer |
| Luna Deer | Rare | Common Deer + Common Deer |
| Moonlight Deer | Super Rare | Luna Deer + Luna Deer |
Duck
| Animal Breed | Rarity | How To Breed |
|---|---|---|
| Duck | Common | – |
| Jade Duck | Rare | Common Duck + Common Duck |
| White Duck | Rare | Common Duck + Common Duck |
| Glazed Duck | Super Rare | Common Duck + White Duck White Duck + Jade Duck |
Horse
| Animal Breed | Rarity | How To Breed |
|---|---|---|
| Horse | Common | – |
| White Horse | Rare | Common Horse + Common Horse |
| Black Horse | Rare | Common Horse + Common Horse |
| Ink Horse | Super Rare | White Horse + Black Horse |
Musk Deer
| Animal Breed | Rarity | How To Breed |
|---|---|---|
| Musk Deer | Common | – |
| Red Musk Deer | Rare | Common Musk Deer + Common Musk Deer |
| Black Musk Deer | Rare | Common Musk Deer + Common Musk Deer |
| Fairy Musk Deer | Super Rare | Red Musk Deer + Black Musk Deer |
Ostrich
| Animal Breed | Rarity | How To Breed |
|---|---|---|
| Ostrich | Common | – |
| Snow Ostrich | Rare | Common Ostrich + Common Ostrich |
| Golden Ostrich | Rare | Common Ostrich + Common Ostrich |
| Phoenix Ostrich | Super Rare | Snow Ostrich + Golden Ostrich |
Pig
| Animal Breed | Rarity | How To Breed |
|---|---|---|
| Pig | Common | – |
| Spotted Pig | Rare | Common Pig + Common Pig |
| Tusked Boar | Rare | Common Pig + Common Pig |
| Puffhog | Super Rare | Spotted Pig + Tusked Boar |
Rabbit
| Animal Breed | Rarity | How To Breed |
|---|---|---|
| Rabbit | Common | – |
| Lop-Eared Rabbit | Rare | Common Rabbit + Common Rabbit |
| Dango Rabbit | Rare | Common Rabbit + Common Rabbit |
| Luna Rabbit | Super Rare | Dango Rabbit + Common Rabbit Lop-Eared Rabbit + Lop-Eared Rabbit |
Sheep
| Animal Breed | Rarity | How To Breed |
|---|---|---|
| Snowool | Common | – |
| Ebowool | Common | – |
| Fluffwool | Uncommon | Snowool + Ebowool |
| Duswool | Uncommon | Snowool + Ebowool |
| Red Sheep | Rare | Ebowool + Ebowool |
| Blue Sheep | Rare | Snowool + Ebowool |
| Orange Sheep | Rare | Snowool + Snowool |
| Yellow Sheep | Rare | Snowool + Snowool |
| Cyan Sheep | Rare | Ebowool + Ebowool Snowool + Snowool |
| Green Sheep | Rare | Snowool + Cyan Sheep |
| Purple Sheep | Rare | Duswool + Cyan Sheep |
| Cloud Sheep | Super Rare | Snowool + Blue Sheep |
Animal Traits
Every animal you purchase, or breed, comes with its own unique genetic makeup—a random roll of DNA traits that can significantly impact your farm’s efficiency. Some traits are fantastic, boosting productivity and rewards, while others can be fairly underwhelming.
To find out what you’re working with, check the barn menu, where you can view exactly which traits each animal is hiding. If you discover bad genes, it’s best to sell and remove those animals from your farm before they have a chance to pollute your breeding pool and pass those undesirable traits to future generations.
| Animal Traits | Description | Keep |
|---|---|---|
| Altricial | Growth period extended by 1 day | x |
| Aloofness | Harder to attract opposite-sex animals for breeding | x |
| Bloom | Decreases Happiness boost by 1 point | x |
| Bouncy | Provides good jumping ability while riding | ✓ |
| Bulkiness | Grows bigger in size | ✓ |
| Clinginess | Gain an extra 5 points when an animal is Happy, so they’ll stick to you like glue | ✓ |
| Charisma | More likely to attract the opposite-sex animaals, with breeding priority | ✓ |
| Dexterity | Production Output +1 | ✓ |
| Grounded | Provides average jumping height | x |
| King | This animal is the Herd King! It works 10 extra times every day | ✓ |
| Laziness | Productivity -1 | x |
| Lightning | Provides a good movement speed when riding | ✓ |
| Optimism | When Happiness rises, there’s a 50% chance it doubles | ✓ |
| Petiteness | Grows smaller in size | x |
| Precocial | Growth period is reduced by 1 day | ✓ |
| Pride | Can’t be petted | x |
| Strong | Breeding cooldown reduced by 1 day | ✓ |
| Twins | Breeding has a 30% chanec to produce more offspring | ✓ |
| Workaholic | Animals can work more times a day | ✓ |
Starsand Island Guides
SKILLS GUIDE
FRIENDSHIP & ROMANCE
