- Where to get them
- Catch them in open grasslands or buy young animals at the ranch.
- Cost
- Calf: 300 scrap; lamb: 150.
- Keeping them
- The Hitch & Trough provides food and water; livestock graze on grass by themselves.
- Selling
- The trader at the Stables buys fully grown animals and wool.
What Livestock Adds to Rust
The Livestock update went live on October 1, 2026, adding cows (Cow) and sheep (Sheep). Animals have needs and genes, and you can keep and breed them at your base. Cows provide milk (Milk), sheep provide wool (Wool), and both leave dung (Dung).
Livestock can also be butchered for meat, bones, and leather. Cattle farming added Beef, Mutton, and dishes made from them.
Updates
NewsReadWhere to Find a Cow or Sheep
Wild livestock is most commonly found in open grasslands. You can tame it and lead it home. Alternatively, you can buy a young animal at the ranch: you choose its sex, but its genes are random.
| Ranch animal | Cost | What you can choose |
|---|---|---|
| Calf | 300 scrap | Sex: cow or bull |
| Lamb | 150 scrap | Animal’s sex |
Prices are based on Rustafied’s check on the update’s release date, October 1, 2026. Buying an animal lets you choose its sex for future breeding, but doesn’t guarantee good genes. You can also keep livestock caught in a meadow on your farm, but wild and purchased animals sell for less than farm-bred ones.
How to Tame a Cow in Rust and Bring It Back to Your Base
You can tame a wild animal and lead it on a rope. Taming takes time: you need to build its bond to full, or it will fade. Having a sleeping player nearby won’t tame it. The main challenge when moving an animal is keeping the bond from breaking. The rope snaps if you run too fast or the animal gets caught on an obstacle. Keep an eye on the animal on the way back to your base, not just on where you’re going.
- Set Up a PenNew fences and gates for livestock: animal fence and animal gate.
- Lead the Animal with a RopeDon't run too far ahead or the rope will break.
- Watch for ObstaclesCheck that the animal is following and hasn't got caught on anything.
- Or Transport It by VehicleA cow fits on a double flatbed.
The new navigation system lets animals enter player-built structures and accounts for whether doors are open or closed. A pen helps keep livestock separate from the rest of your base; the update also added a dedicated fence and gate for this purpose.
What to Feed Livestock and When It Gets Crowded
The Hitch & Trough provides animals with food and water. They graze on grass by themselves. When setting up a pen, account for both their access to food and the number of animals nearby.
| Animals in one spot | Status |
|---|---|
| 5 | Getting cramped |
| 9 | Very crowded |
This refers to the number of animals in one spot, not the size of the pen: having a trough nearby won't prevent overcrowding if the herd grows.
How to Breed Animals and Manage Their Genes
Like plants, livestock has genes and needs. You can breed animals to get better genes. However, animal genes work differently, so the usual plant-breeding methods may not apply.
Don't use inbreeding to improve your herd: it produces poor offspring.
Both an animal’s genes and its origin affect its sale price. Better genes mean a higher offer from the trader. Livestock bred on your farm sells for full price, while wild and purchased animals sell at a discount. Full price doesn’t mean a fixed payout, though. The offer is still random.
What Cows and Sheep Provide in Rust
Cows are kept for milk, while sheep are kept for wool. Both types also produce dung and can be butchered. Choose based on what you need: you’ll need a cow for milk-based teas and a sheep to sell wool to the trader.
Milk, Cream, and Tea
You can milk a cow directly. In Rustafied’s test, each milking yielded 2 milk, with up to 10 in a stack. The yield also depends on the cow’s genes. You can drink the milk or use it for further processing. Leave it in a fridge for 4 hours, and a “skim cream” action will appear.
Skimming milk yields Skimmed Milk and Cream. Cream is the more potent product. The difference matters in tea recipes: milk extends a tea’s effects, while cream makes them stronger. Milk and cream versions are available for most pure teas.
Wool and dung
Use a knife to shear a sheep. A fully grown coat yielded 10 wool in Rustafied’s test, and the amount also depends on the sheep’s genes. Don’t hit a freshly shorn spot, or you’ll hurt the sheep. You can sell wool to the Stables trader, up to 400 at a time. The offer depends on how much you bring. Both cows and sheep leave dung behind. Since the update, horses produce much less, so livestock is a better source of dung.
Beef, Mutton, and Pies
Butchering livestock yields meat, bones, and leather. The new types of meat are Beef and Mutton, and the new dishes are Shepherds Pie and Beef Pie. Raw or spoiled meat can also be processed in a Biofuel Generator instead of being used as food.
How to Sell Livestock and Wool at the Stables
The Stables trader will buy fully grown cows and sheep. Lead an animal up to him, and he’ll make a random offer based on its genes. Better genes mean a higher offer, but the exact amount is never known in advance. You can reject the offer and get a new one twice. After your third rejection, the trader won’t buy that animal for 15 minutes. Rustafied’s rewards included a Python Revolver, plenty of High Quality Metal, ammo, Rifle Bodies and SMG Bodies, Ladder Hatches, Armored Doors, scrap, and, occasionally, a red keycard.
- Lead the Animal to the TraderThey’ll make an initial offer—the better the genes, the higher it is.
- Decline if the Offer Is Too LowYou can ask for a new offer up to two more times.
- Don't Overdo ItAfter you decline three times, the trader gets annoyed and won't buy that animal for 15 minutes.
You can sell wool to the same trader. They can make up to three offers for it, and the reward depends on how much you bring at a time. You can sell up to 400 wool in one transaction.
How the Biofuel Generator Works
The Biofuel Generator (Biofuel Generator) processes organic matter, such as raw or spoiled meat, into Low Grade Fuel. Fill it, stir the contents by hand, and leave it running. The more calories the organic matter contains, the more fuel you get.
After about 30 minutes, you’ll need to stir the contents again. You can send a signal to a nearby room through the IO connections. The output slot holds up to 500 fuel.
What Small Animals Are For
Along with livestock, frogs, rabbits, squirrels, sea turtles, crabs, and jellyfish have appeared on the island. They spawn in suitable locations and currently serve mainly as world ambience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where to Find a Cow in Rust
Wild livestock is most commonly found in open grasslands. You can tame a cow and lead it back to your base. If you don't want to search for a wild animal, you can buy a calf at the ranch.
How Much Does a Calf Cost at the Ranch in Rust?
A calf costs 300 scrap. You can choose a cow or bull when buying one, but its genes will be random. A lamb at the ranch costs 150 scrap.
What Do Cows and Sheep Eat in Rust?
The Hitch & Trough provides animals with food and water. Cows and sheep graze on grass by themselves. Keep an eye on crowding, too: 5 animals in one spot makes it cramped, while 9 makes it very crowded.
How to Get Cream in Rust
Put milk in a refrigerator and leave it there for 4 hours. The “skim cream” action will then become available, yielding Cream and Skimmed Milk. Cream is used in recipes, including to increase the effects of tea.
How Do You Sell a Cow in Rust?
Lead a fully grown cow to the trader at the Stables and get an offer. You can decline and ask for a new one up to two more times. After you’ve used all your attempts, the trader won't buy that animal for 15 minutes. The offer depends on its genes, and wild livestock sells at a discount compared with farm-bred animals.
