How To Create A Pen On Rimworld

Managing animals in Rimworld can be overwhelming, especially when you have a large collection of livestock. One of the best ways to keep your animals organized and efficient is by creating a designated pen. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the simple steps needed to build and configure an animal pen in Rimworld, ensuring your animals stay contained and well-fed.

Understanding What A Pen Is

A pen in Rimworld is a designated area for your animals. It serves as a controlled space where your animal handlers can manage livestock, including chicks, bulls, cows, elephants, and other tamed animals. The key requirement is that a pen must be completely enclosed by fences, walls, barricades, or doors. If there’s even a single opening, it will no longer function as a pen.

For example, if you have an area outside a cave that’s almost completely enclosed except for one wall section, simply adding that wall will create a perfect pen space.

How To Designate A Pen Using A Pen Marker

To officially designate an enclosed area as a pen, you’ll need to place a pen marker. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Access The Pen Marker

Navigate to the Architects menu, then select Miscellaneous (or “Misk” for short). You’ll find the pen marker option here—it’s labeled as “a post of a sign designating an animal pen.”

Step 2: Place The Pen Marker

Click on the pen marker and place it within your enclosed area. Once placed, you’ll see a green outline appear, indicating the pen’s boundaries and borders.

Step 3: Assign Animals To The Pen

After placing the pen marker, you can configure which animals the pen will accept. Your animal handlers—any colonists with the handling skill—will automatically bring tamed animals into the designated pen.

Essential Additions For A Functional Pen

Growing Zone For Hay

One of the most important additions to your pen is a growing zone dedicated to hay. This ensures your animals have a reliable food source within the pen. Without a hay growing zone, your animals may wander off and eat other crops—which could be problematic if they consume valuable resources like psychoid plants.

Egg Boxes (For Chickens And Ducks)

If you’re raising chickens or ducks, place egg boxes within the pen. Your birds will automatically lay eggs in these boxes, making egg collection much easier and more efficient.

Summary

Creating a pen in Rimworld is straightforward: enclose an area with walls, fences, or barricades, place a pen marker from the Architects > Miscellaneous menu, and configure it to accept your animals. Add a hay growing zone to feed your livestock and egg boxes if you’re raising poultry. Once these steps are complete, your animal handlers will automatically manage the pen, keeping your animals organized and productive.

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